Darkness of Heart
by LawliPop
Summary: A fine line exists between love and obsession. Once crossed, what's to stop a person from losing themselves to the insanity of their desires? From the beginning, there was no turning back. And in the end, Ryou pays the ultimate price. [RxA, BxA, MxA][AU]
1. Chapter, First

_A/N: After writing Hide and Seek, I did make a little promise to myself to write a BakuraxAnzuxRyou fanfic... and I have actually gone through with that promise. But of course, being the MalikxAnzu fan that I now am, I have decided to throw in the MalikxAnzu pairing as well! So, perhaps that makes this a BakuraxAnzuxRyouxMalik love square? I dunno, I don't think of it that way. Okay I shall stop rambling. Here is the fic. Please R&R!_

_Warnings: Dark Fic! There will be swearing, people being posessed, possible mention of rape,and other stuff thatchildren shouldn't read. This is going tostart off with a T for Teen rating, but might be bumpedup..I haven't decided yet._

_Pairings: BakuraxAnzu (one-sided), RyouxAnzu (one-sided), BakuraxAnzuxRyou, MalikxAnzu, and minor others..._

_Disclaimer:Yu-Gi-Oh! is copyright of Kazuki Takahashi. _

* * *

_Darkness of Heart_

**-Prologue-**

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It all began sixteen years ago, the day my parents and I moved from England to Japan. My father was an Englishman, whereas my mother was Japanese; apparently they had met at some archeology convention when they were in college and fell madly in love after first laying eyes on each other. The reason my family made the move was because my mother had fallen ill. Breast Cancer threatened to take her life, and as one of her last requests she begged my father to take her back to the country of her birth.

And so, not even a week after that, my parents and I moved from London to Domino City. It was a big cultural change for my mother and father, but since I was only a young child it made no difference to me.

Our neighbors were kindhearted people; the Mazakis - newlyweds whom had just been blessed with their first child - became close friends of my parents. I became well acquainted with their infant daughter, Anzu; we would always play with each other whenever our families got together. Because my parents had lost their first child Amane – a girl one year older than me – at birth, they viewed the Mazakis' child as their second daughter.

On the night of my fourth birthday, everything changed. Anzu was over my house, being babysat by my slowly-recovering mother, as was typical for an average weekday. It was the normal Thursday routine. However on that night, Mr. and Mrs. Mazaki never returned from work to pick up their daughter. We received a telephone call from the Domino City hospital saying that the Mazakis had been involved in a terrible car accident and that neither of them had survived. Young Anzu had then become a young orphan.

Mr. and Mrs. Mazaki had not written a will. Being only in their late twenties, they had found no need to make one. After all, they had been so young; it was a ridiculous idea to think that they would die. That is the way all humans are; no matter what age, mortal beings seem to think they are all immortal. They did die, and that left their first and only child parentless.

Not having the heart to send her to the orphanage downtown, my mother pleaded with my father to make Anzu their legal child. My father agreed without much argument and they adopted her without much hassle. Anzu Mazaki had then become Anzu Bakura, a sister three years my junior.

Being only of the age of one, tiny Anzu knew not the difference between my family and hers, and she grew to believe that she was the birth daughter of my parents. Mother and Father never told her that she was not their blood daughter, and when I was old enough they made me swear never to tall her, either. They feared that it would traumatize her if she ever knew. I agreed, because_ I_ feared that, if she ever found out, she would leave me. At the time when they confided me with the secret I had been nine years old, and already I had begun to feel attached to small Anzu.

As I grew, she grew. When I became a scrawny teenaged boy with long, almost feminine white hair and doe-like brown eyes, she became a developed pre-teen with pin-straight chestnut hair and glittering azure eyes. I began to take more notice of her and her female physical attributes because I was, after all, a teenaged boy and I had teenaged boy hormones. She never knew, thank God, of the feelings I began receiving around her; how I would blush whenever our bodies touched, how I felt like melting under her beautiful cerulean gaze. I always hoped to keep the emotions suppressed... but as we grew older it became more difficult.

When she turned fifteen years old, I was already eighteen; my parents began to find it more and more difficult to pay the separate tuitions of the private schools we both attended. My mother had fallen ill again, the cancer returning even though she had previously thought it to be gone; she was unable to work. I was taken out of my all-boys school, and she was taken from her all-girls school. Now we were both placed in a public co-ed school downtown.

Anzu was thrilled with the news. Although she would miss her friends dreadfully, she was eager to be able to learn alongside of handsome teenaged boys. I, for that exact same reason, was disturbed when my father told me we would be attending Domino High School. Because Anzu was going to be the pretty new girl, she would undoubtedly attract the attention of all the males in the student population. For the first time in my life, I was jealous and greatly angered.

I would no longer be the only man in her life. There would be others, others who were better looking than me, who would be there to sweep her off her feet. Others who would want to be her boyfriend, who would want to be with her... to hug her, to touch her, to kiss her... Those were all things that _I_ wanted, and it was then that I first realized how I would never be able to do that; I would _never_ be able to have _her_.

Even still, I wanted her to be _mine_. And I didn't want to share her with the peers of this new school.

I began to change. I became quiet, introverted; I didn't talk much to my classmates, despite my being an upperclassman. I didn't participate in sports or any other extracurricular activities, and my body became weak. I became scared of everything; the other boys in my school, the girls who would actually come and give me love letters or say they admired me. But mostly, I became fearful of losing Anzu.

I always knew that one day she would leave me. That she would fall in love with someone and get married, then leave the house to start a family of her own. However I wanted to picture that it was _me_ she fell in love with, that it was _me_ she would go off to begin a new life with. I wanted her to love me as I had always loved her, but I knew that it could never happen. After all, she believed me to be her older brother, and in the modern times it was disgustingly wrong to feel anything sexual towards a sibling.

I wanted so badly to tell her the secret my parents entrusted me with, to explain to her that I really was not her older brother and that she really belonged to the Mazaki family. I always hoped that, if I told her, she would perhaps see me in a new light... the light that I have always seen her in. I knew, though, that it was too late. Even if I did tell her the truth, she would still view me as her brother; she would still love me as just my younger sister, and nothing more.

I would cry constantly, not caring who saw. She would comfort me and try to find out what the source of my sadness was. I would never say that it was her who was causing me grief; that would only make her upset. I could never forgive myself if I hurt her. But even though she didn't know it, she hurt me. She hurt me so much, and she continues to unintentionally hurt me each and every day that I cannot hold her in my arms and love her the way I so sorely desire.

And through all of our years together, through all the time my feelings for her have had to flourish, there had always been a dark voice whispering to me in the back of my head.

"**_You can never have her..."_**

It would always say that to me. Whisper tauntingly about how one day someone would take her away from me, that one day I would never see her again.

"**_You can never have her..."_**

I began to wonder if I was going crazy, because no longer was it just a dark voice. I had seen the one who would speak to me; a man who looked like me, only more twisted. He was different from me; he was cold and brooding, and he would threaten to one day take over my body and claim Anzu for his own. It was then that I realized that this man, this separate being inside of me, I had created myself. He was the spiritual form of the lust and the desires that I held for Anzu, which I kept locked up in the back of my mind.

And then I also realized... As much as I loved and wanted Anzu, he wanted her a thousand times more. Only with him, there was no love to it. He craved her; needed her to satisfy his immoral hunger. I knew he would stop at nothing to get her, and so I fought as hard as I could to restrain him, to keep him away from her. I knew it wouldn't work forever, and that someday he would break free and control my body in order to do whatever he pleased with her, but still I fought him with all my might.

I love Anzu... I wanted what was best for her. But still, I wanted _her_ to be with _me. _I wanted her to be _my_ woman and no one else's. I didn't want another man to even be able to look at her. I wanted her to be mine... only _mine!_ I wanted her to _belong_ to _me_, so that I could force her to never leave my side.

... And that is why, in the end, I gave in to that dark presence that lurked within my mind. That is why, in the end, I threw it all away just for the small chance of being with her.

I was a fool.

And by the time I figured that out, it was already too late.

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_A/N: To be continued! How was that for a prologue? I thought it was pretty good, for a Ryou POV! Please review?_


	2. Chapter I

_A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Normally I would answer each review, but I heard a rumor that ff . net has a new rule that forbids authors/authoresses from replying to their reviews in a chapter..and I really didn't want to risk this fanfic being deleated. So please just know that I read all the reviews and I greatly appreciate all of them! Thank you very much! Please R&R!_

_Warnings: Dark Fic! There will be swearing, people being posessed, possible mention of rape,and other stuff thatchildren shouldn't read. This is going tostart off with a T for Teen rating, but might be bumped up..I haven't decided yet._

_Pairings: BakuraxAnzu (one-sided), RyouxAnzu (one-sided), BakuraxAnzuxRyou, MalikxAnzu, and minor others..._

_Disclaimer:Yu-Gi-Oh! is copyright of Kazuki Takahashi._

* * *

Key:

_**("Bakura to Ryou, mind speech")**_

_("Ryou to Bakura, mind speech")_

_**"Bakura speaking through Ryou"**_

"Normal Speech"

_'Normal Thoughts'_

* * *

_**- Part I -  
February 12; 2:48 AM**_

The house was quiet, the only source of noise being the ancient Grandfather Clock in the downstairs den which would clang loudly every half hour. There were no movements due to the fact that it was late at night, and the two inhabitants of the house were sound asleep. Up one flight of stairs and at the end of a lightless hallway were the bedrooms. On one side of the hallway was her room and on the other side was his. The two were as close as possible even when not awake.

Ryou Bakura slumbered through the still night, dreaming of that which he could never have – the one who slept in the room across the hallway of his home. Every so often he would turn over in his bed, clinging to his blankets, and whisper her name. And whenever her name was spoken, the dark Voice inside of his head would laugh and do its job of reminding the young boy of how the girl he wanted would never love him in return.

And so the night progressed... until the stillness was broken by a barely audible rapping on the door. Brown eyes opened slowly, their owner trying his hardest to clear away the sleepy haze that clouded them. Again there was a knock. He sat up, wondering who would want permission to enter his room at such a time.

Then he heard a voice; not the harsh one in his mind, but a light, delicate one.

"Brother..?"

The door to the bedroom opened suddenly to reveal a petite girl with frightened azure eyes. She approached the bed, appearing relieved upon finding out that her brother was awake.

"Anzu, what are you doing?" Ryou asked, reaching a hand out to the teenaged girl.

She took his hand and squeezed it tightly. "I... I had that nightmare again," she admitted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Since father is away on one of his trips, I was hoping that... maybe... maybe I could... stay in here for the night..." she explained slowly, keeping her head turned away from him.

Ryou shook his head negatively. "Don't you think you're a little too old to sleep in your brother's room after every nightmare you have?" he asked her. He looked away, feeling his heart beating faster at the mere thought of them sharing a bed.

Anzu looked down at him pleadingly. "I-I know I am, brother... but you make me feel so safe. I don't want to be alone for the rest of the night... That nightmare I had... it was so real... it really scared me. I-I thought that, in the end, I was going to... him-he was going to..." her voice cracked and she turned her head sharply back in the direction of the door. "N-never mind."

The white-haired boy sighed loudly, feeling himself give in. After all, deep down he didn't want to refuse; deep down he was thrilled at the prospect of them sleeping in the same room. "Will it really make you feel better to stay in here?" he asked after a moment of silence.

She nodded and he exhaled deeply, pushing aside the comforter and scooting over to make room for her in the bed. She smiled in thanks and dove under the covers, making herself comfortable on the mattress space he had given her.

Ryou lay back down, feeling both uncomfortable and breathless. Already he regretted allowing her to have her way. Already he could feel that dark presence prodding at his mind; begging him for control over their joint body. He closed his eyes tightly, willing himself to fall asleep as quickly as possible. The sooner he succumbed to his sleep, the sooner that Voice would leave him be, and the less he would have to think about whom he was currently sharing his bed with. And his plan would have worked, had Anzu not decided to snuggle up close to him and drape her arms lazily across his chest.

"A-Anzu?" he sputtered, attempting to sit up again. His heart began thumping much louder in his chest, and he was amazed that she couldn't hear it.

Anzu didn't say anything right away, only nuzzled her face in his neck. "I'm sorry, brother," she replied at last. "You're just... so warm..." her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes, falling back into her deep slumber.

Ryou rested his head back down against his pillow. He turned his face faintly to the side, fixing his eyes on the now-sleeping girl. He reached a hand up and tentatively ran it through her shoulder-length chestnut hair. He held some of the locks to his nose, inhaling the sweet citrus scent that it exuded. Oh how he could lose himself just by staring at her perfect face, or catching a whiff of her intoxicating scent. It thrilled him to be so close to her... and yet it disgusted him at the same time.

He blinked rapidly and pushed himself away from her snoozing form. He felt so dirty, thinking the thoughts that were swirling around in his mind; all of them being of Anzu, of course.

_'When did I become like this?'_ He couldn't help but wonder. _'How could I ever let myself think this way... about her? She thinks I'm her brother for God's sake! I'm-I'm horrible to even** consider**...'_

She had gravitated towards him once more, her soft cheeks pressed against the pale skin of his back. One of her arms looped around his side, almost as if she were giving him a hug from behind. Ryou blushed brightly, wanting to rip out of the embrace and run as far from her as possible. Yet he couldn't move. There was that dark voice inside of his mind telling him to stay where he was, to enjoy the little time that he actually had to be so close to her.

Anzu shifted again, mumbling incomprehensibly under her breath. Ryou let out a soft groan and clenched his eyes tightly together, turning his head away from her and covering it with his pillow.

_'Stop it, Ryou,'_ he shouted at himself. _'Don't think about her... Just sleep. For the love of God, fall asleep already...'_

A long while later the young man's wish was finally granted, and he was able to slip back into the dream he had been a part of before interrupted by Anzu's knocking on his bedroom door.

_**- Part II -  
February 12; 6:15 AM**_

"Big brother! Big brother, are you still sleeping?"

Ryou moaned, opening his eyes leisurely and tossing aside the pillow that covered his face. He yawned and sat up, turning his head in the direction of his bedroom door.

"Big brother, I'm coming in so you better be decent!"

The door opened to reveal Anzu, dressed in her formal high school uniform. She smiled, waving her hand at her sibling. "Good morning, sleepy," she greeted jokingly.

"What's so good about it?" the white-haired teenager asked, pushing aside the light blue blankets that covered his bed. He rose slowly to his feet and stretched before heading towards the bathroom.

The brown-haired girl followed him. "What's the matter?" she wondered aloud. "Did you not sleep well? I'm sorry if I hogged all the covers; your room is a lot colder than mine." She bowed her head in apology.

Ryou's cheeks involuntarily reddened as he thought of the previous night; how she had been so close to him, how she had refused to remove her arms from around him when he'd try to push her away. He swallowed hard and grabbed his toothbrush. "Don't worry about it," he said softly, turning the hot water tap on. "It wasn't your fault if you had a bad dream."

"No, no; don't make excuses for me. You were absolutely right last night by saying that I was too old to need to sleep in your room just because I had a nightmare. I'm sixteen – an adult!"

Ryou chuckled and nodded his head. "All right, point proven. Now let me change."

Anzu nodded and left the bathroom. The white-haired teen sighed loudly, sinking to his knees in front of the sink. He let out a small groan, staring inertly at the water which poured from the open faucet. _'I have to stop thinking this way. I... I can't risk thinking about her, because He's always listening. That Voice... these-these thoughts make that **thing** grow stronger.'_

He stood up slowly and splashed some water on his face in order to clear his head. He then left the bathroom to change into his school uniform.

_**- Part III -  
February 12; 3:10 PM**_

Ryou yawned, leaning against the main entrance of Domino High. He watched with bored russet eyes as his peers made their way past the double doors, down the front steps, and towards the bus stops. School had let out ten minutes ago and the adolescents who made up the student body were eager to get wherever they needed to be next.

Ryou was standing in his usual spot waiting for Anzu so that they could walk home together. It was their daily tradition, and it had been since even before they began attending public school together. After eighth hour, if neither had to participate in after-school classroom cleaning,they would each go to their respective lockers, gather the books needed for the evening, and join at the front gates five minutes after three o'clock.

"Big brother!"

The nineteen-year-old turned his head quickly, seeing Anzu running towards him with a large grin on her face. She stopped for a moment in the middle of the corridor to whisper a few words to some of her friends. Her friends, a group of sophomore girls, giggled at whatever she had said. Ryou smiled at this and crossed his arms over his chest, his brown eyes gazing at her fondly. Anzu was quite the social butterfly; she was very popular in their school, especially when compared to the eldest Bakura child.

"Bye, Anzu-chan! See you tomorrow," the leader of the group of girls said. She waved and began walking away. Her friends echoed her words and followed her further down the hallway in the direction they had originally been going.

"Bye." Anzu waved and turned back towards the entrance of the school. She grinned and ran over to Ryou, throwing her arms around his neck in a warm hug. She didn't notice the heated blush that spread across his face as a result of the action. "Thanks for waiting for me," she said.

He nodded wordlessly as he tried to steady his racing heart. After swallowing he slowly hoisted her into his arms and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. She rolled her eyes, feeling slightly embarrassed. If the remaining students in the hall didn't believe that the two were brother and sister, they would probably guess that Ryou and Anzu were dating.

"So," Ryou began, releasing his hold around the brunette and settling for holding her hand in his own. She squeezed his hand gently as they began to walk away from the school. "How was your day? You seemed rather happy when you came out."

Anzu nodded her head. "I had a great day," she let him know. "Takahashi-sensei talked of the upcoming preparations for Prom. I had no idea it was so much work; the Juniors must be busy since they're the ones organizing it all. Miho told me that the theme was going to be _Happily Ever After_… it sounds very magical, from what she said. I can't wait to go."

"Prom is only for Junior and Senior students. How are you going to get a ticket?"

"… Mai asked me to join the cheerleading squad. Try-outs for next year's competitive team are in two weeks," the brunette said, changing the subject.

Ryou raised an eyebrow slowly, wondering why all of the sudden she held no interest in their Prom conversation. "Cheerleading? You never told me you were interested in joining the school's team."

Anzu brushed some bangs out of her eyes. "Well, I never really thought I'd be any good at it. But Mai insists that I'd make an excellent addition to the squad, because I'm light enough to be a Flyer."

The white-haired teenager nodded his head, deciding not to even bother to ask what the heck a Flyer was. "I'm sure you would be," he exclaimed with a soft smile.

Internally, he felt angry with the girl named Mai for even suggesting cheerleading as a team for the brunette to join. It's not that he had anything against the sport, because he didn't, but he most certainly did not want Anzu to be a member on the school's team. The girls on the Domino High cheerleading squad were nothing but pretty toys for the jocks to just use and throw away whenever they pleased, and he wanted more for his Anzu than that.

He suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his head; a sign that the dark presence that lurked in his mind wanted release from the body it was confined to. He stiffened and placed a hand to his forehead, willing the pain to go away.

_**("Release me.")**_

Anzu noticed the change in Ryou's posture and placed her free hand on his shoulder, moving so that she stood directly in front of him. "Big brother..?" she said softly, concern clouding her azure eyes. "Big brother?" her voice rose slightly, along with her anxiety of what could be wrong with her sibling.

Ryou snapped his eyes shut, blocking Anzu from his view, so that the Voice could no longer see her. But even though his eyelids covered her form from view, Anzu's image was still right there in his memory. The dark presence stirred; impatient from being kept inside for so long.

_**("Release me.")**_

_("Leave… leave me alone,")_ Ryou whispered in his mind. He began to shake slightly, feeling Him trying to force His way out. _("Leave me alone!)_

"Big brother!" Anzu cried, shaking him gently. "Brother, please; tell me what's wrong."

Using all the strength he could muster in his current state - which wasn't much, since the Voice was absorbing all that He could in hopes to overpower the body - the nineteen-year-old pushed the brunette away roughly.

Anzu stumbled back, a look of shock and hurt on her face. "B-brother..?" She approached him cautiously, hoping that he wouldn't lash out at her. This wasn't the first personality change of his that she had witnessed; it had happened a handful of times before, and some cases had been much worse than this.

Ryou turned away from her, placing his hands over his ears so that he would be unable to hear her gentle voice. _'I need to get away… I need to be somewhere far from her, so that He won't gain control.'_ Turning his eyes sharply on the younger teenager, he yelled for her not to follow him and then took off in the opposite direction of their home. He didn't know where he would go; he just knew he needed to get there quickly. He ran slower than he usually would, mainly because half of his mind was screaming for his brain to make him return to Anzu.

_'I can't… I can't risk going back there like this. If He takes over… if He gains control over me… I don't know what will happen. He'll do whatever He pleases with her, and I will be powerless to stop Him. No! I can't let that happen. I won't let Him touch Anzu… not now, and not ever. I have to protect her. Even though I want to be with her the same way that He does, I can't let my love for her get that out of hand.'_

_**("You fool. I am growing tired of your defiance.")**_

He could hear that the Voice had gotten much quieter, and guessed that He had lost strength since Ryou had distanced himself from the object of his - or their, rather - affection. Pursing his lips together, Ryou slowed his pace down to a slow jog. He knew now that he would be safe, and that the dark presence would not be able to control him at the moment. He had no reason to worry, for the moment, at least.

The Voice sensed his thoughts and chuckled darkly. _**("You may be able to restrain me now, but one day I will break free of your hold. I will take over your body, and I WILL take Anzu as my own. There is nothing you can do to stop me, boy.")**_

Ryou didn't make any effort to respond to the threat. He knew that It was right… one day he would no longer be able to control himself. Eventually he would give into his deep desires, and allow the dark spirit of his mind to possess him in order to get what he wanted. He just hoped that it would be a long time before that day actually came.

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_A/N: Sorry this chapter was so very short. I'll try and make the next one longer! Please reivew!_


	3. Chapter II

_A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews! _

_Warnings: Dark Fic! There will be swearing, people being posessed, possible mention of rape,and other stuff thatchildren shouldn't read. This is going tostart off with a T for Teen rating, but might be bumped up..I haven't decided yet._

_Pairings: BakuraxAnzu (one-sided), RyouxAnzu (one-sided), BakuraxAnzuxRyou, MalikxAnzu, and minor others..._

_Disclaimer:Yu-Gi-Oh! is copyright of Kazuki Takahashi._

* * *

Key:

_**("Bakura to Ryou, mind speech")**_

_("Ryou to Bakura, mind speech")_

"_**Bakura speaking through Ryou"**_

"Normal Speech"

'_Normal Thoughts'_

* * *

**- Part I - **

**February 12; 9:45 PM**

Whenever it happened, Ryou would feel strangely drained, as if the energy had been sucked right out of his body; and in a way, that actually was what happened. The dark presence, not being able to create a physical body of His own, would absorb any amount of power and life that He could out of His host's body and use it to temporarily free Himself. The body He was able to create was nothing more than a shadow; a specter that only Ryou could see, but that anyone else could hear and feel.

Ryou knew that He was still angry from being refused control of their joint body earlier that day, and he should have guessed sooner that the deranged part of his mind would try and break free again that evening. However, because He was making Himself His own type of body, there was nothing Ryou could do to stop Him; he could only sit back and watch helplessly as the Voice, now embodied by a human-shaped shadow that looked like a more sinister version of His host, did as He pleased for the limited time He had free of Ryou's mind.

The nineteen-year-old was sprawled on his bed, feeling too exhausted to even move. He could see the creature, which was in fact a personification of the pent-up desires he himself held for Anzu, smirking wickedly. The specter moved effortlessly to His host's side, reaching out a transparent hand and placing it to the pale face of the human boy.

_**("You are tired. Sleep.")**_

Ryou trembled as the ice-cold fingertips brushed against his skin. "Don't touch me," he hissed.

**_("Why so bitter?")_** He asked, the conceited smirk never once leaving His face. He continued to caress His host's cheek; immensely enjoying the disgusted reaction it elicited from the white-haired boy. (**_"Your anger is misdirected. If you must hate someone, then it should be yourself that you loathe. After all, it was you who created me, was it not?")_**

Ryou cringed, trying to move his face away from the shadowy hand. The Voice chuckled heartily and grasped his chin forcefully, forcing him to look up into those brown eyes that were both deadly and lustful.

**_("You are scared,")_** the specter observed, crawling onto the bed. **_("And you should be. I could very well kill you if I desired.")_** He appeared thoughtful for a moment as He placed His free hand on the boy's chest and slowly trailed it downwards. **_("But I think it would be a waste of perfect flesh if I killed you. Aside from that, I would be without a host if you were to die, and that would truly be a pity.")_**

_("What do you want from me?")_

The dark one laughed again, pressing His cold lips against the human's ear. **_("You know very well what I want, Ryou; you just refuse to let me have her.")_**

Ryou clenched his eyes together tightly, pushing against Him. It was no use; since He was only a shadow, He was unable to be touched... but He could still touch whomever and whatever He pleased.

_("I won't let you have Anzu. You can never have her, and neither can I.")_

There was a loud sigh. **_("Is that the way you truly wish for things to be? I could help you, Ryou. I know you desire the girl just as much as I do, so why is it that you refuse to take her? With my help... if we worked _together_, then she could be ours. It is foolish of you to turn me away... The more you try to fight me, the more out of reach the girl becomes. If you continue to refuse becoming one with me – not just in mind, but in body as well – then it will be impossible for you to win her over. Face it, Ryou... you need me in order to attain her. Why don't you accept it? The sooner you acknowledge that as the truth, the sooner she can be ours.")_**

'_She can never be mine,'_ Ryou thought sadly. _("Even if we were to become one like you say, Anzu could never belong to us. She would never love me the way that I love her. She believes me to be her brother, and that will never change.")_

**_("No... _We_ can change it,")_** the Voice explained, wrapping tendrils of His ghostly form around His host's body. **_("We can _make_ her ours. We can claim her so that she can belong to no one besides us.")_** His voice was low and seductive as He spoke into the boy's mind. He could feel the boy's resolve weakening, and could almost taste how much Ryou wanted to give into Him. **_("Be one with me, Ryou,")_** he proposed. **_("Become one with me, and together we can see to it that the lovely maiden gives us the love we yearn for.")_**

The promise was too good to refuse, and Ryou wondered if it was actually the truth. He wondered if the dark presence would actually help him. Even though almost a grown man, the white-haired boy was still extremely naïve... almost as trusting of people as Anzu was.

_("Anzu... I want her to be mine. I really do.")_ The shadows continued to encircle his frail body, and he was no longer resisting them. _("The only reason I'd do this is because I love her.")_

**_("Then you have nothing to fear,")_** the Voice purred. **_("Trust in me... Trust in me...")_**

Ryou felt his eyes roll back as his body was filled with strong surges of dark energy. He couldn't believe that he was actually giving in, after all the years he had fought to keep Him at bay. He couldn't forgive himself for what he was doing, for the danger he was now putting Anzu in, but it was now as if he couldn't stop himself from letting Him possess their joint body.

'_Anzu...'_ he gasped, turning his head in the direction of his bedroom door. The brunette was most likely in her room, fast asleep and dreaming innocently of a bright future; she had no clue what was happening in the room right across the hall of her own, no clue of the hell her life would be turned into if the dark presence was able to completely overwhelm Ryou's spirit. _'Anzu... I... I can't...'_ He moved one of his trembling arms out towards the door, trying to grasp something that was not there. _'Anzu...'_

A ghostly hand slid down the outstretched arm, and freezing fingers intertwined around Ryou's own.

**_("You have nothing to fear,")_** the Voice said again.

'_No... I can't do this. I can't let Him control me! I can't let my feelings for Anzu get this out of hand! I won't!' _

**_("Ryou,")_** He sounded angry. **_("Why are you resisting me?")_**

Summoning all the strength he could, Ryou tore his hand out of the shadow's and rolled himself off the bed. The dark energy left his body and he was left weak and quaking on the ground. He ran his hands over his arms and across his face and chest, making sure that no part of the shadow was touching his skin any longer.

**_("What are you doing, boy? Are you still fighting me?")_** The specter stood from the bed. **_("After all that I have offered to do for you, you still refuse to join with me?")_** A bitter smile spread across his face. **_("You are even more of a fool than I thought. But fine, I will go along with your decision for now. Do not think, though, that I have given up. One way or another I will get you to become one with me, and then I will take the girl as my own.")_** With that threat spoken, He vanished back into the recesses of His host's mind.

Ryou breathed heavily and rose to a sitting position. He still had very little energy inside of his body, so he could not bring himself to push up onto his bed. He just wanted to stay where he was and try to forget about the encounter between himself and the Voice. He didn't want to remember that he had almost given in to Him, and had almost jeopardized the life of the one he loved more than anything.

His brown eyes closed softly, and he leaned back to rest against the side of the mattress. In a matter of moments, a sleep full of unrelenting nightmares captured him.

**- Part II -**

**February 13; 6:32 AM**

By the next morning, most of Ryou's strength had returned to him and he was able to prepare for school without easily tiring out. While he went through his typical morning ritual of brushing his teeth, washing his face, combing his hair, and dressing into his formal uniform, he was left undisturbed by the dark presence that lurked inside of him. His thoughts were uncharacteristically peaceful and quiet and, more importantly, his thoughts were only his own.

After finishing in the bathroom the nineteen-year-old clothed himself in the comfortable blue pants, white shirt, and blue jacket that made up his typical weekday attire. He stood in front of the full-length mirror that was attached to the back of his bedroom door and carefully fastened each button of his jacket, being mindful not to miss one. After that task was completed he regarded his reflection casually, making sure that he looked as prim and tidy as he did every day.

Once satisfied, he left his room and descended the stairs to the kitchen of the Bakura house. He found Anzu already waiting for him and sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. She smiled fondly at him when he entered the kitchen table and offered him the remainder of the egg omelet she had been consuming. He declined politely and she frowned, finishing off the meal herself and then rising to place the now-empty dish in the sink.

"You're tired," Anzu stated as she washed the plate.

'"_You are tired. Sleep."' _

Ryou shuddered, recalling the dark Voice's words the previous evening. He suddenly felt icy cool hands dancing across his skin and he absentmindedly wrapped his arms around himself in a vain attempt of protection. "No," he said to the brunette. "I'm fine."

Anzu looked unconvinced. "You have bags under your eyes. Did you not sleep well last night? Maybe you should go back to bed and rest for a while longer. We still have about an hour before we have to leave for school."

"I said _no_!" Ryou snapped, his russet eyes narrowing dangerously and his hands squeezing his arms tightly to the point where his nails left imprints on his pale skin.

The brown-haired girl gasped, taking a step back. Her heartbeat increased and her blue eyes were wide with fear. He had yelled at her again; Ryou wasn't one to raise his voice, but lately he had been acting far more aggressive towards her. Why? She turned her face away and fixed her gaze on the white-tiled floor of the kitchen. "O-okay," she whispered finally, dropping the subject. "W-would you like something to eat?"

The white-haired young man stood from the table and walked over to the refrigerator. He grabbed a carton of milk and poured himself a tall glass to drink. He then reached into a nearby cabinet and pulled out a bottle of pills. He removed two painkillers and popped them into his mouth, drowning them down with the milk.

Anzu frowned when she noticed the pills. "Big brother..? Are you sure you're all right? Do you have a headache or something?" she wanted to know. She moved forward and placed an arm on the older teen's shoulder; she hoped to bring him whatever comfort she could if he was in any sort of pain.

"Or something," Ryou echoed, closing his eyes momentarily. Hearing reminders of what that Voice had said was beginning to make his head throb, so he had taken Tylenol in hopes to make to make the thoughts go away. "We should get going soon," he said as he placed his cup in the sink and rinsed it out.

The brunette nodded her head silently and exited the kitchen to go and find her backpack. Ryou watched her leave and sighed, running a hand through his hair in order to keep his bangs out of his eyes. _'Why did I yell at her? All she did was worry about me.'_ He exhaled again. _'I feel like I'm turning into some sort of monster. Even when He is dormant inside my mind, I act so differently... What is wrong with me?'_

"Okay, big brother. I'm ready to leave," Anzu spoke as she re-entered the room. Hitched over her shoulders was an ugly, olive-colored book bag and replacing the indoor slippers she had been wearing previously were a pair of black outdoor shoes. "Shall we go? We can pick up some muffins or something on the way, since you didn't eat any breakfast."

"I'll be fine," Ryou assured her. "Let me get my things." He hurriedly climbed the stairs and entered his room at the end of the second floor hallway. His black backpack was lying innocently on the floor, packed with all the necessary books and supplies that he would need for the school day. His shoes were also on the floor right next to the bag. He slung the backpack over his left shoulder and took the shoes in his hand before going back downstairs.

Anzu was standing near the front door, holding two packed lunches in her hands. Ever since Mrs. Bakura had passed away, the brunette had taken it upon herself to perform morning duties such as preparing homemade lunches for both herself and for Ryou. She put her heart into every meal she made – especially the ones she cooked for her dear elder sibling – and always loved to see the people's reactions to her food; she almost always received positive feedback, of course.

"Ready?" She asked, her blue eyes sparkling with the specks of morning sunlight that shone through the curtains covering a small window on the wall. She reached to him and softly grasped his hand. She smiled when his fingers instinctively closed around her own and she opened the door for them. "C'mon." She led him outside, pausing a moment to lock the door behind her, and then began dragging him down the street.

Ryou fought hard to keep down the blush that threatened to engulf his entire face. He glanced nervously from Anzu's face to their adjoined hands; he always felt so uncomfortable touching her like this. Even though they were intimate – well, more intimate than a brother and sister _should_ be, at least – he still couldn't stop himself from feeling weird... and not because it grossed him out, either, because it definitely didn't. He felt pleasured whenever his skin came into contact with hers; it had always been that way... and even though he accepted it, just as he accepted his feelings towards Anzu, it never ceased to frighten him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the sound of his own footsteps against the pavement. Anzu was chattering enthusiastically about how the principal of their school had asked her to show around a new student that would be arriving on this day. He was he was lost in his thoughts, but he tried to pay attention to what she was saying so that he'd be able to answer if she sprung a question on him.

"... He's from Egypt. Isn't that exciting? I can't wait to ask him questions about his culture... It must be so different from ours, after all," the brunette chirped. "He's starting school as a senior, so I was a bit confused as to why they didn't choose an upperclassman to give him a tour of the school. Principal Ito said that I have the best people skills out of all the others in the student council, and also that my grades and extracurricular activities display our school in the most positive light. Principal Ito says it's all about the first impression, and he thinks that I'll make a great first impression on the new student. I was so flattered that I didn't even say anything!"

Ryou smiled gently and squeezed her hand. "Well I'm not surprised the principal chose you. You are an amazing person, Anzu," he said, staring at her intently.

Anzu's face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, come on!" She shook her head in disagreement. "I'm just an average student. There's nothing amazing about me."

The white-haired boy remained silent after that, the light smile still present on his pale face. The brunette continued to babble on in a carefree manner, only stopping momentarily when they boarded their bus. The two stood together at the very back of the bus, respectively leaving seats open for the elder passengers who had boarded with them.

The bus ride seemed to drag on forever, mainly due to the fact that the large vehicle had to stop every few minutes to pick up and let off more rail users, and the two Bakuras were glad to finally arrive at their school. They both removed their outdoor shoes and slipped on their indoor school slippers, and then they parted for the day after promising to meet each other at the usual spot at the usual time after school let out. Ryou headed off in the direction of his homeroom class, and Anzu made her way to the principal's office to meet the new student she would be escorting during the day.

**- Part III -**

**February 13; 8:10 AM**

"Ah, Miss Bakura; we were waiting for you to arrive."

Anzu smiled and bowed respectfully to the principal of Domino High School. "I'm sorry if I was late," she apologized. "My brother wasn't exactly feeling... like himself, this morning," she explained, recalling how he had spoken so harshly towards her in the kitchen.

Principal Ito shook his head. "Quite all right, Miss Bakura." He waved his hand at someone who was sitting in one of the chairs of his office, and the brunette wondered how she hadn't noticed anyone else in the room before. "Miss Bakura I would like you to meet our foreign exchange student from Cairo, Egypt: Mr. Malik Ishtar."

The brunette took a step forward, extending her hand to the new student and also taking the moment to sweep her eyes timidly across his form. He was tall, she noticed right away; probably taller than Ryou would ever be. He wore no uniform slacks and jacket; instead he wore loose-fitting black cargo pants and a short-sleeved navy T-shirt. His arms, she observed with delight, were toned and richly tanned, and she could only guess that his chest and legs were just as well-built. An unruly mop of sandy-blonde locks made up his hair, and his eyes were an unforgettable shade of lilac.

He rose from the chair he had been occupying in one graceful motion and gently took her hand in his own, bowing slightly to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bakura," he said, flashing a dazzling smile. His teeth were brilliantly white when compared to the darkness of his skin.

"It's nice to meet you too," Anzu said, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. She returned her hand to her side and looked over at the principal for further instruction.

"Mr. Ishtar has already been given his schedule and locker accommodations. Books have already been placed in assigned classrooms for him, so the only thing you need to do, Miss Bakura, is give him a tour of the school. You are exempt from any work you may miss in any of your classes," Principal Ito informed as he sat down at his desk. He picked up a folder and handed it to the brown-haired student. "This is a copy of Mr. Ishtar's schedule."

Anzu took it and thanked him. The Principal then excused them and allowed the two teenagers to leave the office. The brunette turned her attention back to Malik. "H-how do you like Domino so far?" she asked with a smile, hoping to start a conversation.

Malik shrugged his shoulders, glaring down at his schedule. "It's okay, I guess," he replied. "I guess it's a little better than Cairo, since it's not as hot all the time, but I do miss my sister."

"I understand. It must have been hard to leave your family behind," Anzu said. "I think it takes a really strong person to be able to do that." She looked down at the wristwatch on her right arm. "School begins promptly at eight-ten every morning, from Monday through Friday, and lets out at three-o'clock. Domino High is one of the fewer schools in Japan that doesn't have mandatory classes on Saturdays, so we get a two day weekend," she told him, changing the subject for a moment.

She saw him nod his head through the corner of his eye. "Let's see..." she took out one of the sheets from the folder Principal Ito had given to her minutes ago. Her azure orbs scanned the paper quickly. "Your first period class is Anatomy and Physiology with Professor Nagasawa. The classroom is located in the science wing, which is in this direction," she explained, changing directions and heading down a corridor which led to a different section of the school.

Malik followed her, a bored expression on his face. Clearly he wasn't all too eager to get to his first period session. Anzu noticed this and stopped in the middle of the hallway, offering him a smile.

"It's okay if you're nervous," she said, mistaking his silence for anxiety.

The Egyptian laughed. "Nervous? I'm not nervous. I'm just not a big science fan, that's all. It's probably my least favorite subject, so I'm not exactly enthused by it being my first class of the day."

Anzu giggled. "Oh, well, that's understandable too. Everyone has a class that they don't particularly enjoy or that they don't do well in. For me, it's world history."

"You don't like world history?"

"I don't like any type of history in general. There are too many dates and names to remember."

"That's sad, because I'd have to say that history is my favorite thing to study."

Anzu's face flushed slightly. "Well I guess that makes us opposites. My favorite subject is any type of science," she joked.

Malik grinned and nodded his head. "Yeah, well, you know what they say: opposites attract." He received a nice blush from the girl as a reply and he began walking further down the hallway until he reached a certain door. "Six-seventy – this is me. What class do you have now?" he asked her.

"Chemistry. It's in room six hundred, right around the corner from here. After the bell rings we can meet in this hallway and I'll walk with you to your next class."

"Okay, sounds good."

Anzu bit her lip, trying to think of something else to say. She wasn't used to talking to boys that much, aside from Ryou. All her friends were girls. She had never felt a need to socialize much with members of the opposite sex; but now, all of the sudden, after conversing for a short amount of time with Malik she found herself wanting to speak more with him.

"See you after class," she blurted out before hurrying away to the Chemistry room. Since there was no one else in the hall she was able to hear him opening the door to his class and enter the room. She sighed softly when she knew he was gone and held a hand over her heart.

That had been harder than she first figured it would be. But now she had a whole class to figure out any questions she wanted to ask him, so she would be able to talk with him a lot longer. That thought made her happy for some reason.

**- Part IV -**

**February 13; 3:27 PM**

Ryou was worried more than words can express. Almost a half an hour had gone by since school had been released for the day, and there was still no sign of Anzu. He was beginning to worry that something might have happened to her. It was ridiculous for him to think that something bad could have happened to her on school grounds, but he couldn't help but be concerned. He loved her, after all. If anything happened to her, he didn't know what he would do.

He pushed away from the wall, ignoring the calls over several of his classmates as they yelled for him to come and join the game of basketball they were going to set up. She crossed his arms over his chest, feeling the same anger from earlier that morning build up inside of him. He didn't know why Anzu's being late upset him so much. She was probably busy. After all, she was involved with the student council, and she had had to show that foreign exchange student around the school. Maybe she was still giving him a tour.

'_Oh... I almost forgot that the new student's a guy,'_ he thought, frowning. The fact caused him to become even more upset. The familiar waves of jealousy began churning around in his stomach and Ryou could feel himself becoming sick. The Voice was laughing malevolently at him in his mind.

_**("If you had let me become one with you, I would have been able to stop her from showing around that boy. Now she's late to walk home with you because she is with him.")**_

_("You don't know she's with him. She could be with Jounouchi-san, or Nosaka-san, or any other of her friends.")_

The Voice made a small humming noise of disbelief and said nothing more. Ryou pressed a hand against his forehead as a sharp pain erupted in the back of his skull. He closed his eyes tightly and sucked in his breath, willing himself to hold on and to not collapse in front of the school doors.

**_("I do not like this little game you are playing, boy,")_** the Voice spat. **_("Allow me to take control of the body. Let me find Anzu and bring her home with us, where she belongs.")_**

_("N... no. Go away.")_ Ryou hissed, beginning to walk away from the school.

**_("Do not make me force you into submission. I will take the body against your will if I must... but I would much rather have to just cooperate with me.")_**

Ryou forced himself to ignore the Voice and continued walking away from Domino High. He stopped moving only when he saw several of Anzu's best friends gathered at the front gate conversing animatedly with one another.

"Nosaka-san," he called out softly.

A pretty girl with lavender-colored hair turned around immediately after hearing her name addressed. A small smile formed on her face when she noticed the white-haired upperclassman and she politely excused herself from the discussion she and her friends had been having. "Hello, Bakura-kun," she greeted, her violet eyes radiating warmth. "I... I saw you in the hallway earlier today, at the crossover between Language and Maths. I waved." Her cheeks turned a light shade of red.

Ryou didn't take much notice of the blush. Miho Nosaka had had a large crush on him ever since he had switched over to Domino High; he had learned to ignore it by this point. "I saw you," he replied, giving a polite smile. "I'm sorry I didn't wave back. I was a little preoccupied."

"Oh, I understand," Miho said, nodding her head.

"Nosaka-san... you haven't, by chance, seen Anzu around, have you?" the brown-eyed boy asked. "We're supposed to walk home together after school. I haven't seen her come out yet. Did she stay behind in her last class?"

Miho shook her head negatively. "No, no. She didn't stay behind. She left already."

The nineteen-year-old blinked several times. "She... she what?" he questioned, not quite understanding her statement.

"She left already," the purple-haired girl repeated. "She took Ishtar-kun to Burger World right after eighth hour let out. I saw her walking past the school gates with him when I was heading towards my locker."

Ryou felt as if his heart had suddenly stopped beating in his chest as Miho's words hit him with all the strength of a speeding bus. _'She actually... she actually left me so that she could take some stupid new guy for a burger? She didn't... she didn't even tell me. Why would she do that? How could she do that to me?'_ His eyes narrowed slightly and his left hand clenched tightly around the strap of his book bag. _'How dare some new guy try to take her away from me like this... and how dare Anzu actually give in to him?'_

"Bakura-kun...?" Miho ventured, her brows creasing in worry. She didn't like the expression that was forming on her long-time crush's face - it was dark and frightening, so very different from the usual peaceful look he wore. "Bakura-kun, are you all right? You don't seem too well. Maybe you should go home and rest," she suggested.

As much as he knew he should, Ryou didn't necessarily want to fight back the powerful surges of dark energy that, all of the sudden,threatened to overtake his being. Without saying another word to Miho, he took off in the direction of the school gates. He hurriedly left school property, and he could sense the dark presence gaining more control with each step he took. At this moment, he couldn't care less. All he wanted to do was locate Anzu and take her back home with him.

He wouldn't stand by and allow some arrogant new student to woo her out of his hold; he wouldn't let her be alone with any man besides himself. She was _his_; she was _his_, damn it! He wouldn't allow anyone she to have her. She belonged to _him_, and no other man would steal her away!

Several tears formed in his eyes andthe teenagerblinked them away as he continued to run. He couldn't allow her to leave him. She was all he really had...

_'She's going to leave me. I know it. I know she will.'_ He stared blankly at the ground he tread on. His eyes suddenly harded and his mouth formed to speak words he couldn't even register saying - it was as if he himself wasn't even the one speaking.

**_"..I won't let her."_**

Ryou halted when he arrived at a crosswalk. From his standpoint he could easily spot the brightly-painted building that was Burger World, and through the windows on the outside wall he could clearly see two figures sitting together at a small booth laughing happily. One of the figures he recognized instantly - with the glossy, shoulder-length brown hair and the crystal-blue eyes, the girl who sat at the booth could be no other than his Anzu. The other occupant of the booth he had never seen before. No doubt that the handsome, tanned young man was the new student, Malik Ishtar.

He growled, feeling the dark energy coursing through him with more force than before. As much as he wanted to struggle or run away from the spot – as much as he wanted to keep the dark presence from taking over – he didn't do anything. He simply stood there, idly observing the sign of the crosswalk turn green, and felt as his consciousness was brutally ripped from his body and thrown somewhere where he had no control over anything.

Everything was suddenly as dark as the blackest of nights.

And all the while he could hear the Voice laughing insanely – extremely pleased with His newly-attainted power over their body.

* * *

_A/N: My apologies for the evil cliffie! I just couldn't resist! (Grins sheepishly.) Dang.. the more I write of Bakura's character, the more I really love him - despite his super sadistic-ness. Maybe I'm just weird. I don't know. Anyways, please review! I'll be out with the next chapter as soon as I can!_


	4. Chapter III

_A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I rewrote it several times because I was unhappy with the way it kept turning out. But now I'm satisfied. I hope everyone likes it! Please Read and Review!_

* * *

Key:

_**("Bakura to Ryou, mind speech")**_

_("Ryou to Bakura, mind speech")_

"**_Bakura speaking through Ryou"_**

"Normal Speech"

'_Normal Thoughts'_

* * *

**- Part I -**

**February 13; 4:40 PM**

The sound of a door slamming shut caused Ryou to awaken immediately from the painful slumber his mind had been thrust into. He sat up and drowsily opened his eyes, discovering after his vision cleared that he was in a room which he had never before seen. It was cold and damp, and made entirely out of worn, ancient stone. There was no light aside from the several flickering candles which were stationed a yard or so from where his spirit had been cast aside, and the walls seemed to stretch on endlessly in every direction.

Surprisingly, even though the room seemed to have no beginning and no end, Ryou felt very claustrophobic. He didn't know why; he just did. He felt compressed and it was difficult for him to properly breathe. Perhaps there was only something in the air. It was rather frigid in this place, and his physical education teachers had always taught that it was harder to breathe in areas of colder temperature. He moved closer to the row of candles, hoping to absorb some of the heat that they gave off.

He rubbed his hands together, desperately trying to keep warm. As he did this he continued to look around the room, hoping to find some sort of hint that might tell him where exactly he was.

As if in answer to the many questions that plagued his mind an icy-cool wind blew into Ryou, causing his frail body to shiver. His eyes widened and he turned around sharply, half-expecting to see the smirking ghostly form of the Voice. That was what had caused the breeze, after all. Ryou had no doubt in his mind; it was Him, that _monster_, who had trapped him in this unfeeling room, and now He was teasing him.

**_("So you have awakened,") _**the dark Voice spoke suddenly, proving Ryou's theory true. **_("Excellent timing, I must say. Our little treasure has just arrived.")_**

Ryou raised an eyebrow. _'Little treasure,'_ he wondered, moving slowly towards the closest wall he caught sight of. He searched the wall with his hands, trying to find a door or any other possible means of escape. No such luck befell the white-haired boy. '_Little treasure_,' he thought again, blinking. _'Does He mean Anzu?'_

**_("There is nowhere you can go,")_** the Voice assured.

Ryou faintly heard the sound of another door opening, and also footsteps coming closer.

**_("Trust me. After being trapped in this exact room for the most of _your_ life, I would know if there was any way to break free.")_**

_("If... If that's the case, then why aren't you trapped in here with me?")_

The dark Voice's mocking laugh seemed to come from everywhere – from the left and from the right; from above and from below. There was no way to pinpoint Its location. It was as if He was constantly moving... or maybe that He wasn't really there at all, and that this whole place was just all in Ryou's mind.

The footsteps continued, becoming louder.

**_("Because,")_** He answered at last, **_("I am in control now. The only way for you to return fully to your body is for me to let you... and I can promise right now that that will not be happening any time soon.")_**

Ryou felt a heavy sensation in the pit of his stomach, made up of the two emotions of fear and dread. Those feelings increased tremendously when he noticed the light footfalls in the background had ceased altogether. For several moments there was only thick silence.

"Brother?"

The white-haired boy gasped, feeling his heart leap in his throat. "A-Anzu?" he called, reaching out blindly.

"Brother, are you home?"

Her voice was hesitant and seemed to come from a long distance away. Ryou extended his arms, trying to feel her – trying to show himself that she was really there and that he wasn't just imagining all that was going on around him. But he could see nothing. He could feel nothing. He could do nothing.

**_("She's coming inside.")_** The Voice sounded particularly pleased as He passed this information on to His host. **_("I am anxious to lay my new eyes on her. I have heard that everything in the world is much more beautiful when seen through the eyes of a physical body. Who was it that told me that? Oh yes; I believe it was you. I am eager to discover if that is, in fact, correct.")_**

_("What are you going to do?")_ Ryou wanted to know, yet at the same time he was frightened to find out what He might have planned.

He merely laughed. **_("I do not wish to disclose that at this moment. If you truly wish to know, then I shall allow you to see.")_**

Before the nineteen-year-old could even blink, one of the room's walls melted away to reveal a portion of an all-too-recognizable room. From where he was standing watch, Ryou could make out himself – or what appeared to be himself, but was actually the Voice in control of his body – leaning comfortably against the windowsill. Another presence soon entered the room. It was Anzu.

Ryou saw Him lick His lips.

"Big brother, I kept calling you from downstairs. Why didn't you answer me?" Anzu asked as she made her way over to Him. He said nothing; only stared down at her with hard, crimson-brown eyes. "... Did you hear me?"

The now-embodied Voice turned His face away, uttering not a word. This caused the brunette to frown and place her hands on His arms so that He would look at her.

Ryou could feel Him smirking. Although he couldn't necessarily see His face clearly, he could just imagine the smug look; His thin lips twisted and stretching upwards sinisterly, and His deadly russet eyes burning with all the sins of the world – Ryou's own sins.

"Brother... Brother, what's wrong with you? Why aren't you saying anything?"

The Darkness seemed to find her question amusing, for he let out a dry laugh. It was a cruelly merciless sound, His laugh. His mouth opened wide as He sniggered; His long, bony fingers clasped tightly around her upper arms to trap her in place, and before she could try and move, His lips descended over her own.

* * *

_Anzu Bakura had never been embarrassed to admit that the first boy she ever kissed had been her older brother. After all, it wasn't done to fulfill any deep desires that either of them fostered for one another. No, it had been merely an act of curiosity. She had come to him one night, when it was snowing outside, and he was sitting on the porch counting the many stars in the sky. He had looked content, and she had seen the smile on his face that appeared when she came to sit beside him. It had made her feel so warm inside._

* * *

Anzu's eyes widened considerably, and her entire body froze.

* * *

_There had been a blue blanket, a dry one, which he had draped around his shoulders to keep him from catching cold. He had removed one half of it from his body and placed it around her, also closing his arms around her to keep it in place. She had looked at him, her ocean-blue eyes shining with inquisitiveness as she mulled over the proposition she had come outside to ask him.__

* * *

_

She didn't understand what was going on. What had gotten into her brother? What was He _doing_ to her? Why was He holding her like this? Why was He_ touching_ her? She shivered violently, wanting to cry or shy away from him. Thanks to the strong grip He had on her, she could not run.

_

* * *

_

"_Big brother;" The words finally broke the comfortable silence which had settled around them. _

_He made a noise of recognition, his russet eyes turning away from the stars in order to give her his undivided attention. _

_She pursed her lips and played with a strand of her chocolate-brown hair as she thought of how to best way to word her next inquiry. "Have you ever... kissed anyone before?" she finally asked. She studiously observed his features, taking in his reaction; his body seemed to stiffen slightly, and his eyes widened in surprise. _

"_Kissed anyone?" he repeated. His cheeks were turning a lovely, embarrassed shade of red. "W-why would you want to know that?"_

"_I don't know. I mean, you're in junior high now, so I just figured that you might have..." her voice trailed off and she turned her head away. "Never mind; I'm just making you uncomfortable. Forget that I brought it up, okay?" _

_He continued gazing at her despite the fact that she was no longer paying attention to him and was, instead, focused intently on the floorboards which they sat on. He tightened his hold around her, bringing her body closer to his, and rested his cheek on top of her head. _

"_I kissed one girl," he admitted, still blushing. "It was last year, back in sixth grade. At the dance at school. Remember I went with Mayumi? Well, after the dance she sort of pulled me aside and, um, kissed me. I never told anyone about it." His face was now as bright as a tomato, if not brighter. _

_She laughed. "Did you kiss her back?"_

"_I..." his eyes turned to the ground for a moment. "No, I didn't." _

"_Why not?"_

_He fidgeted. "I-I don't know. I didn't really like her that way, I guess. I mean, when I kiss someone, I want to do it because I really like that person, you know?" _

"_I guess so," she agreed, nodding her head slightly to show that she understood. She looked up at him, her large azure eyes unblinking._

_

* * *

_

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Anzu fought her hardest to keep them back. She could feel His hold on her tighten as He slowly pulled away for air and she kept her eyes downcast, not bearing to look at Him.

* * *

"_Big brother, would you kiss me?__

* * *

_

He laughed, a cold sound that was strange to hear coming out of Him. He was usually so calm and gentle; to hear His voice turn malicious was frightening.

_

* * *

_

_He reeled back, startled by the question. "W-_what_?" he sputtered, his heart racing in his chest. _

"_Would you kiss me?" she asked again. Her expression was serious, so in no way was she attempting to play any sort of prank on him. _

"_W-why would you want me to kiss you?" _

_Anzu sighed loudly. "Today at school some of the girls said that I would never get a boy to kiss me, because I wasn't pretty enough to get them to like me." She looked at her feet. "So... You said that you would kiss someone if you liked them, big brother. Don't you like me?"_

"_I-I didn't... I..." He stopped talking and opted for playing with the frays on the blanket which surrounded them. "You should really kiss a boy that –"_

"_-- Look! A shooting star!"_

_Anzu leaned forward, her large azure eyes shining with delight. _

_Ryou watched her pensively, memorizing every detail of her face. She looked so happy right then, and seemed to have forgotten the question she had proposed only seconds ago. The question was still fresh in Ryou's mind, and the words kept replaying over and over in his head. _

"'_Would you kiss me?'" _

"'_Big brother, would you kiss me?'"_

_Ryou shuddered, closing his eyes and rested closer to her. _

"'_Would you...'"_

_He tilted his head down just as she looked up at him, her lips tugging upwards in a warm smile. _

"'_...kiss me?'" _

_

* * *

_

In his mind, Ryou's body jerked violently as he felt a cold stab of pain pierce through his heart, and his vision started to blur. He could faintly see Anzu behind the tears forming in his eyes and he reached out his hand in a futile attempt to touch her, to comfort her. But she was too far out of his reach, just as she always had been.

_

* * *

_

_There was nothing planned about what happened next. The only way Ryou could explain it to himself was to think that he could no longer ignore the tug in his heart that pulled him to Anzu. Even if she believed him to be her older brother, right now he didn't care._

_Right now he had her with him, and they were together outside on the porch, kissing innocently in the moonlight just like two children in love. _

'_If only it were real,' Ryou thought as he closed his eyes, allowing a tear to drop from underneath his closed eyelids. _

_

* * *

_

Ryou wanted to scream; he wanted to cry out her name and tell her that he was sorry, and explain that the monster before her really was not her beloved older brother. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, so many things he wished he could confess.

But he couldn't. His throat was dry and he was weak. The room evaporated from view the instant be blinked, and Ryou found himself once again in the dark, cold recesses of his mind.

There was laughter, laughter all around him, echoing off the non-existent walls. And the Voice... oh the Voice was ecstatic; taunting and teasing and threatening him all at the same time.

Trembling, Ryou attempted to hide himself; to escape from the Voice which was slowly consuming him and driving him mad. The memory from so long ago replayed over and over in his head and the image of Him kissing Anzu was burned into his brain.

_**("You could never subdue me. You are weak, boy.")**_

Ryou's breath hitched in his throat and his fingers curled tightly into the palm of his hand.

_**("You're pathetic.")**_

No. _No! _He couldn't let the voice get to him. He _refused_ to give him. He was still Ryou Bakura, and he would never give into the manifestation of his desires – not now, and not ever. He would take control over his body and his life once again, and he would do it right now.

**_("I'd like to see you _try_.")_**

Standing up straight, Ryou's russet orbs hardened. He set his jaw and glared at the endless void before him, daring the Voice to appear and face him. Nothing erupted from the endless shadows, which only served to further infuriate the teenaged boy.

_("Coward. I will silence you now!")_

He closed his eyes, relaxing his body slightly and focusing all of his energy onto the one thing he desired: his life back. He wished to be free of this evil manifestation, and for things to return to normal between himself and Anzu. He wished to be free of his desire for her, and longed to live the ordinary life of a nineteen-year-old.

'_Please... give me my life back. Let things return to normal. Rid me of the curse that is my sins,'_ he begged, clasping his hands together.

Ryou knew that he could be strong sometimes, when he thought of Anzu. She was all he needed to keep him going. Her gentle smile and polite laugh, her stunning eyes and kind words was all he needed in order to persevere. And he could see her. He could see that, right now, she was hurting. She was in pain and it was his entire fault.

He would not stand it. Ryou would not be the one to bring his beloved pain.

A bright flash of light illuminated Ryou's mind, sweeping away the Darkness. His knees felt weak beneath the weight of his body, and his soul felt as if it was lifting off from his body as he sighed, falling to the floor soundlessly.

* * *

_A/N: I hope this chapter wasn't confusing. Please review?_


	5. Chapter IV

_A/N: Some people seemed to be confused over the last chapter. I'm sorry. The little story of Anzu and Ryou's first kiss was a memory that was replaying in Anzu's mind after the 'Voice' (Bakura) kissed her. I hope that clears up any confusion! Anyways, here is the next chapter. Hope ya'll like it. Please read, enjoy, and review if you like! _

* * *

Key:

_**("Bakura to Ryou, mind speech")**_

_("Ryou to Bakura, mind speech")_

"_**Bakura speaking through Ryou"**_

"Normal Speech"

'_Normal Thoughts'_

* * *

**- Part 1 -  
****- February 14; 7:32 AM -**

When Ryou opened his eyes next, he found himself lying in the center of his bed. He was alone on the mattress and, much to his own surprise, back in control of his body. The room was noiseless, and so were Ryou's thoughts; his mind was buzzing with blissful silence and he cherished the sound of absolutely nothing.

The sun outside was rising and birds began to chirp their traditional morning song. It seemed to be a lovely dawn in Domino City. It was beautiful, tranquil, and... normal; so normal, in fact, that Ryou fell extremely suspicious as he shifted to place his feet on the floor and pushed himself up out of the bed.

This appeared to be a typical start of a new day, even prettier than most, which the white-haired teen considered strange due to the events of the previous night.

_The previous night..._

Ryou clenched the fabric of his pajama shirt (how had he gotten into his pajamas, anyways? He didn't remember changing.) as memories of the night before flooded his brain. He collapsed back onto the bed, allowing a choked sob to escape past his lips. He trembled, recalling how he had allowed the dark Voice, his other personality, to take control of his body; how that Voice, impersonating Ryou, had touched Anzu – kissed her, even.

Ryou's chocolate-brown eyes widened slightly.

"Anzu..."

As if called upon, the brunette entered the room, her face kept hidden from view as she walked through the doorway. Once noticing Ryou's upright position on the bed, she jumped, her azure orbs becoming round and fearful for a brief moment.

"Oh, you're... awake," she said softly, turning to the side.

Ryou watched, taking in her features. She looked exhausted, as if not granted sleep for many days; there were large, black circles under her eyes and a noticeable lethargic quality in her demeanor. She looked awful, much unlike her usual spry self.

"Anzu..."

The name slipped from his tongue without thought, and he bit the inside of his cheek, wondering what she would do next. Would she run? Why hadn't she run already? Did she forgive him? Did she not care about what had happened? Did she even remember what had occurred the other night?

"I..." she began hesitantly, as if afraid he might lash out at her at any moment for speaking. "I brought you some food."

One look at her proved her words truthful, for in her hands was a tray containing a bowl of steaming hot soup and various other breakfast favorites of Ryou's. She set the tray beside him on the bed and took several steps backwards, not wanting to be too close to him.

Ryou frowned and turned his gaze to the soup, feeling disheartened. So she did remember; her uneasiness told just as much.

Anzu stood silently, waiting for something to happen. Ryou's eyes flickered from his breakfast to the brunette. He had a dying urge to speak with her, to try and explain himself; but what could he say? After what he had done to her, what could he possibly say that would justify his actions?

It would probably be best for him to start from the very beginning – to tell her who she really was; to tell her that she was a Mazaki and that he was not her biological brother. Perhaps then she would understand his feelings and not stare at him as if he were some sort of monster, such as she was doing now. Ryou hated to be looked at in such a manner, especially by Anzu; it made him feel small, dirty. He pursed his lips.

"Thank you," he whispered, referring to the food she had prepared for him.

He thought he noticed a smile reach her lips, but as he looked up to see if it was actually there it had already vanished and been replaced by an uncharacteristic grimace.

"You should eat while it's hot."

With that said, she turned to leave. Darting out a pale hand, Ryou grasped her wrist to prevent her from going anywhere so soon.

"Anzu, wait," he began, his voice pleading. "I... I need to explain..."

Anzu's eyes showed her fear as she hurriedly freed her arm from his grip. She shook her head and her long brown tresses fell messily over cerulean orbs. "No," she stopped him quickly before he could endeavor to clarify his actions. "Ryou, please... stop."

Ryou felt as if he had just been stabbed by a thousand sharp knives. Hearing his own name drop from her lips made him feel strangely void, which he found odd considering he had always longed to hear her speak his name. As much as he hated her calling him 'brother' constantly, he discovered now that he hated her saying his actual name even more, because she did not say it with tenderness as he had been hoping; she uttered his name as if it were a foul word, and as if saying his name left a horrible taste in her mouth.

"... I don't want to know."

Russet hues averted to the ground; Ryou felt disgusting. He understood, of course; if he were in Anzu's shoes he wouldn't want to hear an explanation either, he would just wish to forget about the whole situation.

She turned to leave again and Ryou couldn't help the small, pathetic hum of objection that sounded through the back of his throat. She kept walking as if she hadn't heard a thing, though he knew she had.

"Stay home today and rest. I need to go; I'm already late for school."

Ryou nodded his head, following her movements with his eyes. As she was about to leave the room he whispered an apology.

Anzu paused, a hand on the doorknob.

"I'm sorry..." he turned his head so that he faced the opposite wall. "I'm sorry for what happened. I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

Anzu inhaled sharply, biting her lip. "Ryou..."

Shaking her head, she exited promptly without saying something more.

Remaining silent long after she left the room, Ryou flinched when he heard the front door of his house slam closed. It was right then that he finally realized the severe consequences of his actions: in giving into his desires and permitting the dark presence in his soul to gain control over their joint body, he had given up the one and only thing in the world that he cherished.

He had driven Anzu away.

**- Part II -  
****- February 14; 2:15 PM -**

"Anzu-chan, are you feeling okay?"

The cerulean orbs of Anzu Bakura were slow to blink open as the teenaged girl was questioned. Her gaze, once back in full focus, landed on the richly tanned face of Malik Ishtar. Forcing a smile, she nodded to the inquiry and wondered aloud why he was asking in the first place.

Malik shrugged his shoulders and fell back against the grass of the spacious school courtyard, landing directly to the right of the brunette. Rolling onto his side, he propped his elbow up and rested his chin on his hand, looking down at her face.

"You just don't seem like yourself, is all," he said. "Did something happen, or are you always like this on Wednesdays?"

Anzu let out a soft, barely audible sigh and momentarily glanced away from the Egyptian. She didn't wish to disclose the true reason of her unhappiness, but she had to somehow respond to Malik's query. Thankfully, this particular Wednesday did offer a good excuse for a teenaged girl such as herself to feel discontented.

"I don't know. I suppose I'm just feeling a little down because it's Valentine's Day," she lied.

"Oh, God, you too?" Malik groaned, tugging exasperatedly at several strands of his blonde hair. "It seems that every girl I've talked to today is miserable because of Valentine's Day. Honestly, I don't see what there is to be upset about."

"You just can't understand the way a girl feels when she has no one to share the day with," Anzu explained, frowning. "For a girl who has a special someone to spend the day with, Valentine's Day is probably a very exciting and joyful day. But for a girl who doesn't..." her voice trailed off and she locked her azure eyes with his lilac hues.

"So... you're depressed because you don't have a boyfriend?"

The brunette exhaled quietly once more. "Something like that," she told him in response.

Malik snorted and brought his hands up to cushion his head. "That's stupid," he decided after a moment. "You shouldn't feel so bummed out just because you're single on Valentine's Day. And if it really bothers you that much, then do something about it instead of just sulking. Ask a guy out that you like, or something."

"I wish it were that simple," Anzu whispered, hanging her head sadly. "Asking this guy to go out with me won't solve my problem – in fact, it will probably just make the situation worse."

Humming in the back of his throat, an expression of understanding crossed the Egyptian's face. He pointed at her in an almost accusing fashion, bringing his finger to rest her nose. "I know what's wrong," he declared very matter-of-factly. "Someone's in love with you, but you don't love him in return."

Anzu blushed and turned her head away from her companion so that he wouldn't be able to see her flushed expression. Malik had pretty much nailed the general idea of her problem with his guess; however, she knew that the circumstances were also far different from what Malik seemed to believe. It was true that a boy was in love with her, but it wasn't just any boy – it was her older brother!

How could she ever return such feelings? She simply couldn't; it would be unethical. And, furthermore, how was she supposed to react to her sibling fostering such emotions towards her? She could never hate Ryou, but she couldn't very well go on living her life with him the way she had been up until that point. She had every right to feel afraid, to be scared that he might force himself upon her, but she didn't want to be frightened of her brother. She did love him, but only as a sister should her sibling; she could never return the love that he desired from her.

The sandy-haired boy grinned. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Anzu plucked at the blades of grass beneath her. "Maybe," she said, not satisfying him with a full response. She put on a smile and stood up suddenly; brushing any potential grass stains from her uniform skirt. "But never mind. I don't want to think about it, okay?"

Malik shrugged his shoulders and then followed her example by standing up from the grass and dusting off his shirt and pants – he had now discarded his city clothes and had taken to wearing the traditional male uniform, just as his peers.

The school bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of the ten minute break that students had been allowed between their seventh and eighth hour classes. Anzu tucked a strand of chestnut-colored hair behind her ear and swept her eyes over to the ominously large clock tower which hovered proudly over the main building.

"I should be going. My history class is on the other side of the campus," she told her friend while waving her had goodbye to him.

Malik nodded and returned the farewell. He ran forward unexpectedly after several moments and grabbed the brunette's arm, causing her to jump.

"Ishtar-kun;" Anzu turned to face him before finishing her sentence. "I'm going to be late."

"I told you already to just call me Malik," he said, lips twitching upwards in a grin. "How many times do I have to tell you before you get it?"

Involuntarily, it seemed, Anzu's cheeks reddened and just as she had done during her prior blushing episode, she bashfully turned her head to the side so that he would not be able to clearly see her face.

"I'm sorry, Malik-kun. I keep forgetting. But what did you want to tell me?"

His smile widened and he released her arm. "I was just wondering... Um, what are your plans for tonight?"

Anzu blinked several times, trying to figure out the reason as to why he would care what she was doing that particular evening. Her teenaged girl mind had several ideas, all of them being typically, girlishly romantic and almost childish, and she hoped secretly that one of the possibilities might be the actual truth.

Did Malik plan on asking her out? They had only known each other for two days, but it was fathomable that the Egyptian wanted to take her on a date for Valentine's Day; Anzu's heart thumped excitedly at the mere idea.

'_What about Ryou, though?'_ she couldn't help but think._ 'I always spend Valentine's Day with him. I can't break that tradition just because of what happened yesterday, can I? That wouldn't be very fair to him. I know he's sorry for what he did.'_ She bit down on her lower lip, feeling queasy all of the sudden at the memory of the previous day. _'But what if he tries something again? What if he does more than he did last night? I can't believe that I'm actually scared of my own brother... but I am; I'm so afraid that he might try to touch my like that if I get too close to him... that he might get that awful, crazed look in his eyes once more. I don't want that to happen.'_

"...I don't have any plans," she answered finally.

Malik seemed pleased to learn this, judging by the way his lilac eyes lit up. "Would you, um, like to go out with me tonight? I mean, it might help to cheer you up since you've been feeling down today."

The warning bell tolled – two minutes left until class started.

"A-a date, you mean?" she asked shyly.

Malik's tanned cheeks flushed. "Well... if you want to call it that, then yeah."

Blush darkening to an even more intense shade of crimson, Anzu nodded her head timidly. Her heart swelled and she felt as if she were a part of one of her dreams. Imagine, a handsome senior asking her, a plain-looking sophomore girl, out on Valentine's Day! She wondered if she would wake up soon to realize that this was just a fantasy; but deep down she knew that wouldn't happen. Malik was really offering to take her out.

"I'd love to go out with you, Malik-kun."

"Great! I'll, um, I'll pick you up tonight at seven. Is that okay?" the Egyptian offered.

Not even thinking about Ryou or the fact that Malik coming to her home might pose as a problem, she agreed readily to the idea.

"All right then. Here," she grabbed Malik's hand and, taking a pen from her purse, scribbled something onto the palm of his hand. "My address," she told him with a giggle after noticing his questioning stare.

He nodded in comprehension. "Thanks. I'll see you tonight." He waved goodbye to her and then turned, beginning to walk in the direction of his last class.

Anzu left for her history class, picking up her pace in an attempt to reach the classroom in time. It seemed, however, that luck was no longer on her side, for just as she was sprinting down the hallway the bell clanged at full volume. She groaned when, several minutes later, she reached the correct door and slid it open to be greeted angrily by her teacher.

"Miss Bakura, you are late," the professor pointed out, pinning the brunette with a disappointed glare.

Bowing in apology, Anzu mumbled a few words about her locker being unable to open and that such an occurrence would never happen again throughout the remainder of her high school career before scuttling over to her assigned desk. The teacher continued on with her lesson on the Ancient Egyptians.

Anzu retrieved her book from her backpack and flipped to the correct page, trying to figure out where exactly the professor was in the chapter. She was halted in her efforts by someone tapping persistently on her shoulder. One glance to the left showed that Miho Nosaka was endeavoring to catch her attention. A thin, brown eyebrow arched as Anzu mouth the phrase: 'what is it?' to her friend.

Miho scooted her chair closer to Anzu's – she sat right next to her – so that she would be able to properly begin a conversation with the other girl.

"Why were you late?" she wanted to know; her voice was hushed so that the instructor would not be able to hear it.

"I already told Professor Saito the reason. Surely you must have heard me, Miho-chan."

Miho rolled her eyes. "Yes, I heard that... and I could tell very clearly by your expression that you were lying. What really kept you behind? You're usually so responsible when it comes to arriving on-time to class."

Anzu blushed, recalling how just sever minutes ago Malik Ishtar had asked her to go on a date with him. She contained the squeal of delight that threatened to escape her lips before facing Miho. "All right, I'll tell you," she whispered. "But promise not to say a word to anyone else?" When the purple-haired girl nodded vigorously in response, Anzu took a deep breath and continued. "Well... Malik-kun asked me to go out with him tonight."

Miho gasped, holding up a hand to politely conceal her gaping mouth. "Malik Ishtar? You're kidding?" she gasped, though the statement was hardly heard thanks to her hand being in the way.

The brunette shook her head. "No, he asked me just as the first bell rang; that's why I was late."

"Oh my God, Anzu-chan, I am so excited for you! This will be your first date, won't it?"

Embarrassed by the fact that she was fifteen and still had not ever been on a date with a boy before, Anzu affirmed the query meekly. Miho grinned and, not caring now if the professor spotted her or not, she leaned forward and enveloped her friend in a congratulatory hug.

"This is so awesome! I can't believe he asked you out so soon - you must have really made an impression on him yesterday," Miho said quietly after pulling away from the hug. Her violet eyes glimmered, shining with the happiness she felt for her companion. "You'll have to call me the second you get home from your date – do you know where he's taking you yet? – and tell me all of the juicy details!"

The azure-eyed girl gulped. "_J-juicy details?"_ she repeated, sounding almost uncertain.

"Is there something you would wish to share with the class, Miss Bakura?" Professor Saito asked the brunette. "What about you, Miss Nosaka? You seem to be in a very talkative mood today."

The two girls fell silent and cast their eyes to the ground, both looking equally ashamed and humiliated.

The teacher frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "No?" she said, her beady, hawk-like brown eyes burning holes through the disobedient students. "Then I suggest that, unless you have anything to add to the class discussion of the epic Ancient Egyptian battle between the Nameless Pharaoh and King of Thieves, I suggest you keep your mouths shut for the remainder of the period. Am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," the girls agreed simultaneously.

"Good. Since this is your first classroom offense, I am merely assigning cleaning duty for both of you after school today in place of a detention. But don't let this happen again." Professor Saito smiled in a manner that clearly showed her agitation before returning to what she had previously been telling the class before the rude interruption. "Now, as I was saying, the King of Thieves was rumored to have been seeking the sacred relics which the Nameless Pharaoh and his six chosen priests were entrusted to protect..."

**- Part III -  
****February 14; 3:54 PM**

"I'm home," Anzu declared as she tiredly removed her outdoor shoes and placed them on the rack beside the front door.

She was exhausted from the after-school cleaning duties that Professor Saito had forced her to perform as punishment – and was frustrated at the fact that the teacher had kept her behind longer because she was dissatisfied with the way the brunette had swept the floors; still, Anzu supposed it was better than an hour-long detention where she would be required to sit in a room and do absolutely nothing to pass the time.

Placing her book bag on the kitchen table, Anzu made her way to the stairs and up to the second floor of the Bakura home. Once arriving on the next level, she strolled down the long, dark hallway, flicking on a light as she passed the correct switch, and walking until she reached the door which led to Ryou's bedroom.

She stopped in front of the door and stared at it intently, internally debating whether or not she wanted to go inside the room or not. She didn't know if she was ready to face her brother yet. Yes, she had gone into the room that morning, but it had only been early in the morning when he was probably still too tired to try and do anything to her. Now it was early evening... Only God knew what type of mood Ryou would be in.

Anzu turned away from the door, her inner fear winning the battle over the concern she felt for her brother.

"Anzu... is that you?"

The brunette stopped dead in her tracks, paralyzed by the sound of Ryou's voice. He sounded so... she couldn't even find a correct word that could characterize the emotion that filled his voice. Broken, perhaps; he sounded broken, and lost, and his voice was hoarse, almost as if he had been screaming or crying.

She leaned against the wall next to the door to Ryou's room and closed her eyes, nodding her head even though she knew that he couldn't see her. "Yes, it's me. Sorry I'm home late; I had cleaning duty."

"Why did you even come home?" Ryou asked after a moment. He sounded closer, as if he was standing right on the other side of the door.

Anzu sucked in her breath, repeating the question again in her mind. Why had she come home? If she was so scared of Ryou now, why had she even bothered to return to the place where he could easily take advantage of her?

'_He's my brother,'_ her mind reasoned. _'I can't hate him. I can't run away from him. I love him... as my brother. I could never leave him alone, especially now that he's like this. I know he's hurting because of what happened last night.'_

"You- you thought I wouldn't?" she asked him.

He was silent for several moments before he responded negatively. "No... I didn't think you would ever want to see me again."

It was either the words that he spoke or the way he had spoken them that made the tears begin to form in the brunette's eyes. "Ryou," she whispered, "don't say that. I could never hate you... never leave you. You're my big brother."

The sound of Ryou's fist hitting the door caused Anzu to jump away from the wall. She stood back and watched the door cautiously; frightened he might jump out and glare up at her with that eerily demented, lustful look in his eyes that had been there the previous night. Nothing of that sort happened and she tried to calm herself down, blinking her tears away furiously in the process.

"But I'm not...!" his voice trailed off with a strangled cry.

Anzu found the declaration to be odd, and she didn't quite know how to decipher what Ryou meant when he said it. She tried to figure it out silently, still keeping an eye on the bedroom door. After almost ten minutes of silence, the brunette figured that her brother was not going to say anything further. She could not find anything else to say, either, and so she turned around and entered her room as quietly as possible.

She needed to begin getting ready for her date with Malik.

* * *

_A/N: And that wraps up this chapter._


	6. Chapter V

_A/N: This chapter was inspired by my school play (which is sadly over!), Children of Eden. So in case you are wondering why I put in biblical references later on, that is why. Please read, enjoy, and review!

* * *

_

Key:

_**("Bakura to Ryou, mind speech")**_

_("Ryou to Bakura, mind speech")_

"_**Bakura speaking through Ryou"**_

"Normal Speech"

"_Normal Thoughts'_

* * *

**- Part I -  
****February 14; 7:10 PM **

Ryou knew she was lying. The second she told him she would be going out for the evening to spend time with her friends, he knew that it wasn't the truth, Oh, she was going out with a friend out all right, but that 'friend' certainly wasn't Miho or Shizuka like she had wanted him to believe. She was going out with that new boy – that desert rat who everyone in school adored, and who seemed so bent on destroying Anzu's ties with Ryou.

How had he known? It was simple. This particular Wednesday just happened to be Valentine's Day – a day which Anzu and Ryou typically spent together. He knew that the brunette wouldn't break their lifelong tradition just to go to Miho or Shizuka's house. No; something different happened on this evening, and as Ryou spotted the sleek black motorcycle peel out of his driveway, he knew exactly what.

Ryou had a difficult time deciding what hurt more – the fact that Anzu was going out with Malik, or the fact that she had tried to hide it from him.

Rage boiled inside of him, giving him the desire to destroy something in order to soothe the anger that he felt. Tearing his gaze away from the window, the albino stalked out of his room and across the hallway, entering Anzu's room. He scowled when he noticed the pink cell phone lying innocently on the center of the plush, yellow-quilted bed – obviously, she hadn't wanted Ryou to be contacting her this evening.

Feeling even more betrayed and incensed, the pale-haired boy walked over to the bed and picked up the cell phone, grasping it so hard that the tips of his fingers turned white. Without a second thought he flung the device violently across the room, watching in delight as it crashed against the wall and shattered into irreparable fragments.

The Voice in his mind seemed to be amused by His host's reaction and showed just as much by releasing a sharp bark of laughter.

**_("Feeling better?")_** He asked mockingly.

Ryou ignored the inquiry and tried to steady his breathing which, due to the fury bubbling inside of him, had grown rapid without his knowledge. Chocolate eyes fell shut slowly as he took a tentative step closer to the smashed cellular phone. Lowering himself down on his knees, he reached out in an almost robotic manner and touched his fingers against the broken pieces. His eyes reopened as the Voice addressed him once more.

**_("Symbolic, isn't it?")_** He marveled, referring to the phone which His vessel had destroyed only seconds before. He felt the boy cease all physical movements for a moment; Ryou must have known what He was talking about. **_("You shattered your own heart in a very similar fashion,")_** He reminded the albino with a smirk, just in case the other had forgotten. **_("When you fell in love with a girl most forbidden... a girl who could never love you in return.")_**

Ryou already knew this. He didn't need to have the dark Voice rubbing it in his face. "Shut up," he snapped, not in the mood to be ridiculed.

**_("What is wrong, my host? Why so angry? Can't handle the truth?")_** He sniggered, **_("You need to accept it, because the sooner you do, the sooner you will realize the foolishly grave mistake you made when you refused to join with me.")_**

Growling, Ryou tried again vainly to ignore the comments. This only seemed to annoy the dark presence greatly and, as a result, caused Him to release himself from the confines of His vessel's mind. Ryou trembled at the familiar sensation of his energy being sucked right out if his body as the Voice created a spectral form to temporarily inhabit.

The now somewhat-embodied Voice strode confidently over to where His host lay quivering on the floor. As the nineteen-year-old started to lift himself up into a kneeling position, the Spirit kicked out His foot to stop him. The translucent appendage did not pass through Ryou's being when it came into contact with the soft flesh; instead, the foot managed to somehow become solid enough to push the human boy back onto the ground.

Ryou gasped at the painful pressure he felt on his lower back from the foot which was pinning him down, and his eyes clenched shut tightly in discomfort. He could feel the Dark One glaring down at him, and could practically see the victorious glint in His blood-colored eyes as He tried to burn angry holes into the albino's prone body.

**_("Listen well, boy,")_** He spat, all earlier traces of sarcasm and amusement vanishing instantly. **_("I've put up with your little games for long enough. You've managed to restrain me – even thrust me out of control when I gained possession of our body – but I assure you that you will _not _be able to do it again.")_**

"And how do you know that?" Ryou managed to grind out, too drained to even try and escape from underneath the Voice's hold.

**_("Because... now there is a much larger part of you which yearns to become one with me,")_** was the boastful response.

Ryou opened his mouth to retort smartly, but was interrupted by the Voice.

_**("Don't try to deny it.") **_

The room went silent for a moment as the Specter removed His foot from His vessel's back. Before Ryou could even attempt to jump to his feet and make a mad dash to the door – as if he could even if granted the time; with his minimal strength, he could barely breathe properly – he felt the familiar chill of the shadowlike body on top of his own. Though weightless, the ghostly, transparent form weighed down on Ryou, rendering him immobile.

**_("Ryou...")_** the Dark One soothed, His once-spiteful voice taking on the sort of soft tone that a mother would use when consoling a young child.

Ryou felt cold fingers sifting through his long, colorless tresses in a comforting manner, and couldn't help but release a small sigh of contentment. As soon as the noise escaped his slightly parted lips he sucked in his breath, mentally berating himself for feeling relaxed by the Spirit's touch.

**_("You know you don't want to hate me,") _**He said to His host, keeping His pitch light and pleasant. **_("I don't want to hate you either, and I don't want to force you into obeying me.")_**

He changed courses for a moment, still running His hands through the albino's hair. Leaning forward, He whispered sweet words unto His host's ears. **_("Your soul is incomplete, Ryou. It desires life... love. But you are refusing to take up any opportunity presented to you. You resist me.") _**He paused and sighed loudly, momentarily ceasing all movements and shaking His head in an almost depressed manner. **_("I don't understand why...")_**

Ryou closed his eyes slowly, feeling even drowsier than he had before. What was the Dark One doing to him? _("You just want to hurt me... and Anzu.")_

**_("No,")_** the Voice disagreed, hugging Himself closer to Ryou's body. **_("No, Ryou. I would never want to hurt you or our treasure. I love Anzu just as much as you do.")_**

"Lia–"

**_("And I love _you_ as well,") _**He interjected. **_("How could I not? Oh, my Ryou... my sweet, previous Ryou... I could never hate you. After all,")_** here He paused, possibly just for affect, and lowered His head so that His frozen, ghostly lips brushed against His vessel's ear. **_("It was _you_ who created me. How could I feel anything but love and devotion for the one who gave me life?") _**

Ryou wanted so badly to disprove the Spirit's words, but he knew there was nothing he could say. The Voice may have been lying about His true feelings, but He was still right about one thing: Ryou had created Him. Unintentionally (or maybe not) he had brought into the world the being which threatened his and his loved one's happiness each and every day. In a way, Ryou had single-handedly brought about his own downfall – and all because he had desired to protect the girl he loved, too.

Sensing his inner musings, the now-embodied presence shushed Ryou, still using that same gentle tone as He spoke again. **_("It doesn't have to be a downfall. The tables can turn. You've hit a tough spot, Ryou, but that doesn't mean that this is the end. I won't let you give up, my vessel, because there is a chance – we can still win!")_**

"No... Go away," Ryou resisted, though he didn't sound entirely too convincing. "Please... go away."

**_("I have a plan this time, Ryou,")_** the Spirit assured. **_("I will not act rashly or frighten our treasure away. I can bring her closer to me – to you. The only thing I need is your cooperation.")_**

Those icy cold fingers were once again running through his hair, chasing away all of the albino's doubts and fears. Ryou suddenly felt the awkward weight of the Spirit disappear and, making a small noise that could have been confused as a protest, he stirred, trying to sit up. A ghostly hand pushed him back down, though not roughly, and rolled him over so that he and the Dark One could see eye-to-eye.

_**("Think about it, Ryou. Think of what it would be like to have Anzu for yourself – to have her love you in return Ryou, my lovely creator and host, let me grant you what you so sorely yearn for.")**_

Tempting... Very, _very _tempting...

As he mulled over the proposition, Ryou was vaguely reminded of the biblical tale of Adam and Eve – of the temptation offered by the snake in the Garden of Eden; the way the snake had urged God's first daughter to defy all that was said to be right and eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.

Currently Ryou was in a similar predicament, and found that he could relate himself to Eve; he was being offered the chance at forbidden love with Anzu by the Voice.

Ryou was Eve, Anzu's love and companionship was the forbidden fruit, and the Spirit was the clever, seductive snake.

Could such a strikingly similar story have a mirrored ending?

Chocolate-brown eyes closed and an image of Anzu walking away, out of his life, with Malik Ishtar formed in the white-haired boy's mind. If he refused the Voice's proposal, then his vision would surely become reality in the near future; Ryou didn't want that to ever happen. Still, by working together with the Voice he risked a chance of losing Anzu's trust and driving her away completely.

Either way, he would probably lose her in the end. With both choices there was the danger of parting with something he couldn't bear to lose.

**_("Where there is choice, there is pain, Ryou,")_ **the Specter quoted wisely. **_("Make this one choice, my host. Chooseto join with me, and you will never have to make a choice again. There will be no more suffering.")_**

The pale-skinned teenager didn't know what to do. He didn't want to decide – didn't want to face the possible consequence of living in a world without Anzu - but he knew that he had to. So, sucking in his breath sharply, and knowing already that he would most likely regret his resolution, he gave his response.

The Spirit was pleased by the certainty in His host's voice.

**- Part II -  
February 14; 10:41 PM**

"I had a great time tonight, Malik-kun."

The Egyptian smiled down at his brown-haired companion, who was walking beside him at a leisurely pace. Her blue eyes, dark and captivating as the ocean, stared up into his oddly-colored orbs all the while.

"Did you?" he asked her, feeling relief wash over him; he had been terrified that she would get bored – he didn't think he was the most exciting person to be around, after all, and feared that the energetic teenaged girl might become uninterested in him after this one evening they spent together.

Anzu nodded her head. "Yeah, it was fun. I'm really surprised how well we get along," she admitted sheepishly. "You see, I've never spent that much time around guys other than my brother," – her eyes dulled slightly as she told him this – "so I haven't exactly learned how to interact with guys. But... um, yeah." She blushed out of embarrassment. "We'll have to do it again some time."

Malik seemed thrilled by the suggestion, judging by the gleam that lit up his lilac hues with delight. "We will," he agreed enthusiastically.

The duo paused as they reached Malik's black motorcycle. The Egyptian took his time with fastening his helmet before handing the brunette the spare one. Less unsurely than the first time she road with him, Anzu hoisted herself onto the bike, looping her arms around his slim waist.

"Here we go," Malik said, kicking down the peddle and allowing the motor to roar to life. After checking the street quickly he pulled into the slow night traffic.

The ride back to the Bakura home was predominantly silent. Anzu, having gotten over her initial fear of the motorcycle after the drive to dinner, sat as comfortably as she could manage behind Malik, with her arms enveloping around her date's stomach and her cheek pressed lightly against his upper back. The wind stirred through the length of her hair that was not secured by the helmet, sending the thick chestnut tresses sweeping merrily in al imaginable directions; on the contrary, Malik had skillfully pinned his shoulder-length locks underneath his own helmet, as he had done the previous time.

The hum of the engine was loud, yet strangely comforting to the brunette's ears. She let out a content sigh as the motorcycle came to a complete halt at a traffic light and Malik placed his feet down on the pavement to keep the vehicle from tipping over. She pressed herself slightly closer to her date – hopefully Malik would presume she was still frightened and mistake her wanting to be closer to him for a safety precaution. When he said nothing, Anzu closed her eyes and inhaled the spicy cologne of which Malik seemed to have a special liking. Inside, she felt warm.

The light turned green and the motorcycle was off again, its driver focusing intently on the road before him.

All too soon, to Anzu at least, Malik turned onto her street. Cerulean orbs exposed themselves and wandered directly to the brunette's home, which was located bear the end of the street. Suddenly becoming nervous, Anzu loosened her grip on the sandy-haired teenager.

"You can stop here," she told him, noticing her house was only five away.

Malik started to protest. "But your house –"

"- I can walk, don't worry."

Complying with her wishes, the Egyptian stopped the bike. The street went quiet and common night sounds began to make themselves known. Flipping down the kickstand, Malik hopped off of the motorcycle after the brunette.

"Let me walk you to the door," he offered generously, hoping her answer this time would be different as he rested his bike on the side of the road.

Anzu looked at the motorcycle skeptically; did he really intend on leaving it out here? Her oceanic orbs traveled to her house, particularly to a certain second-story window which belonged to Ryou's bedroom. The shades were pulled back a notch, and she thought for a moment that she could make out a shadowed figure standing on the other side of the glass; when she blinked, though, there was no longer anyone near the pane, and so decided it was only her imagination playing tricks on her.

She shook her head. "No, it's all right. You really don't have to, Malik-kun," she assured him.

Malik wouldn't take her answer, for it was not the one he had wanted to hear when he had asked her the question. "Please, Anzu-chan, I insist that I do."

Anzu didn't argue this time around. She allowed him to lead her up the driveway and to the front porch of her home. As she stood ahead of the door, she wondered what would be next to happen, and wetted her lips in anticipation as several ideas popped into her teenaged girl mind. She had seen moments like this in movies; could her first date have a similar, romantic outcome?

"Anzu-chan," Malik began, uncertainly. His accent sounded remarkably thick as he continued. "I don't know what to do next," he confessed, and from the dull glow on his dark-skinned face she could tell he was discomfited or ashamed.

Anzu didn't speak for a moment. Then, she raised herself on her toes and pressed her mouth chastely to his smooth, tanned cheek. "Goodnight, Malik-kun."

She retrieved her set of keys from her purse and turned to open the front door. However, it was not goodbye just yet; Malik now decided otherwise.

"Wait, Anzu-chan," he stopped her with his voice and by placing one hand on her bony shoulder.

Anzu faced him and blinked up at him in a fashion that reminded the Egyptian of a puppy. "Yes?" she asked, her tone somewhat hopeful. Her eyes sparkled radiantly in the moonlight.

Malik stepped closer. "I know what to do now," he informed, a sly smile spreading across his face.

And before she could inquire as to what that was, Malik's lips descended over her own in a kiss that Anzu could only describe as magical. The kiss was brief, but that hardly mattered; it certainly affected the brunette enough – that much was evident by her flushed face and rapidly beating heart.

He pulled away slowly, wearing a hesitant expression as he surveyed her, trying to deduce her reaction. His features softened after he seemingly found what he had been searching for. With a silly, boyish grin, he touched his lips to hers once more and ran one of his hands through the silken brown locks of her hair.

"Goodnight, Anzu-chan," he whispered.

Anzu swallowed down air, feeling extremely lightheaded after the second, deeper kiss. Her eyes fell shut in a lazy manner and she allowed her body to fall back against the front door of the house. The azure orbs only opened again once she heard him descend the steps of the porch.

"Goodnight," she returned the farewell with a shy wave as she watched him make his way down the driveway and towards where he had left his motorcycle.

Taking another deep breath Anzu reached down and grasped the keys – which she must have dropped during the surprise of Malik kissing her – and unlocked the door. She entered the home quietly, not wishing to disturb the dwelling's second occupant.

The door closed behind her, appearing to do so of its own accord. Anzu twisted her head a small extent to the left and stared, bewildered, at the door. A sensation she could only explain as nausea bubbled in the pit of her stomach, and she shivered.

"Must be the wind," she reasoned aloud.

"Indeed," a deep masculine voice concurred.

A hand suddenly grasped her shoulder, and Anzu could feel the freezing cold fingers of the speaker through the thin material of the shirt she wore. Letting out a terrified shriek, she whirled around. The hand released her immediately. Staring back at her was the gentle face of Ryou.

"A-Anzu?" he cocked his head to the side, frowning worriedly. "Are you okay?"

The brunette fought to steady her racing heart. She placed a hand over her chest, taking her time with answering him. She wondered to herself what he was still doing up; had he been waiting for her arrival? "Oh, Ryou... you scared me."

He seemed amused to know this, for his frown morphed into a strange, almost twisting smile. He repeated the words to himself before questioning as to how he possibly could have frightened her.

"The way you snuck up on me. I didn't even hear you – it was as if you were some kind of phantom!"

She did not think she was being funny, but Ryou chuckled as if he found her words hilariously ironic.

"How was your evening?" he asked, voice pleasant as he made his way into the kitchen. She followed him.

Anzu thought for a moment, trying to conjure up some sort of believable lie to fool her brother. There was no way she was going to tell him the truth; she had no idea how he would react to it and, quite frankly, she didn't have any desire to find out.

"It was a ton of fun. Shizuka-chan and I rented some movies and made popcorn and hot chocolate," she explained. He seemed to trust her fib, and she mentally sighed in relief; that was easy enough.

Ryou smiled. "I'm glad to hear that you had a good time." He opened a drawer and began rummaging around for something. "Did Jounouchi-kun drive you home?" he wondered. "I thought I heard a motorcycle and he's the only person at school who I know owns one – aside from the sand devil, that is," he added with a very uncharacteristic snigger.

Cerulean eyes narrowed slightly and she made to speak out against the albino's disrespectful reference to Malik. She caught herself, however, before such words could come out.

"Oh...yeah, you know how Jounouchi-kun is - always offering to drive people home so that he can show off his bike." Anzu had never ridden on Katsuya Jounouchi's motorcycle before, and certainly didn't know the blonde well enough to say that he had such an attitude, but thankfully Ryou didn't know Shizuka's brother as much as necessary to know that she was making it up.

"Hmm..." Ryou nodded, appearing thoughtful. Then he asked: "what color bike does he have?"

"Blue," she answered straight away, for she actually knew the answer.

Ryou continued searching through the drawer. His calm aura was unnerving to the brunette. He seemed far too... passive about this whole situation. Stopping his movements, he lifted a piece of paper from the drawer, scanning it over quickly with his mahogany eyes. There was something written on it, but the teenaged girl couldn't tell what.

"Odd..." he mused; now facing her completely. "The bike I saw outside was black." He stepped forward and, unconsciously, Anzu took one step back. "But maybe that's a mistake on my part – it is very dark, after all; easy to make mistakes like that."

Anzu nodded, feeling that queasy sensation in her stomach increasing and her heartbeat pick up speed again. The albino walked closer and his eyes narrowed, their rich, chocolate-brown color melting away.

What happened next was frightening, to say the very least. Ryou's eyes, now completely blank and colorless, began to _bleed_. A murky crimson color flooded the whites of his eyes, forming small, foggy circles to serve as pupils. They reminded the brunette of spots of dried blood.

"R-Ryou...?" her voice shook.

He grinned toothily and held up the piece of paper in front of her blanched face, revealing the message scrawled across it. "**_Jounouchi-san called_**," he said, "**_about an hour ago. She wanted me to ask you if you would like to go out for ice cream with her, Kujaku-san, and Nosaka-san_**."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she prudently took another step away from Him, and gasped when her back came in contact with the wall. She had nowhere else to run too; He was trapping her. "Ryou, I... I can explain."

"**_Don't worry, there's no need_**." He reached out and grasped her chin between the freezing tips of His thumb and index finger. "**_I had a perfect view_**."

Anzu inhaled sharply. Had He seen the kisses exchanged between herself and Malik? As if He had read her mind, He responded.

**"_Really now, Anzu, do you think me to be stupid?_" **His face contorted into the one she feared – His expression signifying that He was currently anything but normal and sane. **"_I see everything. I know everything._"**

The brunette tried to be courageous as she stared up into the malicious face of who she thought was her brother. She couldn't believe that this man - this sinister, leering man – was actually he loving sibling. He just couldn't be... He was so different; no, He must have done something to Ryou, and was now just posing as the albino. Summoning as much valor as she could, she locked eyes with Him.

"Who are you?" she demanded to know.

He pretended to be hurt. "**_Don't you know me_**?" His tone morphed into the more shy and timid one that Anzu easily recognized as Ryou's own. "**_It's me... It's your precious Ryou_**."

"You are not my brother!"

He merely laughed. "**_Biologically, no._** **_What an astute observation, Anzu._**" Moving His hand away from her face, He trailed His fingers down the smooth curve of her neck, relishing the disgusted shiver that the action elicited. "**_Oh, lovely Anzu, why are you so afraid of me? I could never bring you harm. I am still the idiot Ryou who you know and love, after all."_**

Anzu shook her head fiercely, holding up her hands in front of herself in an attempt to push Him away. "Don't equate yourself to him! You aren't my brother – you aren't Ryou! You aren't anything like him! Ryou would never speak to me like this, or look at me the way you do!"

"**_You obviously know very little about him._**"

"I know everything about Ryou! He's my older brother and –"

"- **_And even _that_ is a lie_**."

The brunette felt tears sting at the back of her eyes and her form stiffened as she felt the imposter's chest brush against her own. "Y-you're the one who's lying."

He shrugged His shoulders, not bothering to oppose the accusation. "**_As the saying goes: 'it takes a liar to know a liar.' And you, dear Anzu, are a very good liar. When did you plan on telling dear Ryou of your little evening alone with Malik Ishtar?" _**

"I... I wasn't. It would upset him too much."

"**_And do you have any idea as to _why_ it would upset him?"_** He smirked and brushed His cold, blue lips against her ear as if to tell her an important secret. "**_Because he's in love with you. He's been in love with you ever since you came to live here. And that's why he created me._**"

Anzu swallowed, turning her head to the side so as to avoid the contact of His lips. "Came to live here? W-what are you talking about?" She had a feeling that she already knew, but she waited to hear the answer from Him.

"**_Have you ever wondered why you were the only one in your family with brown hair? Why you had blue eyes, when all of the rest of your family was stuck with that mucky brown color? Have you ever wondered why the pigment in your skin actually makes itself known, whereas it is virtually impossible to detect in the skin of your _brother,_ and your _father_, and your _mother_ – rest her soul_**."

What didappearances have anything to do with the situation? Who cared if Anzu was the only person in her family with brown hair? She was certain that therewas anotherin her extendedfamily who was born a blue-eyed brunette, just as she was. Still... she did look very different from her immediate family. Everywhere they went, Anzu would be asked if she and Ryou and her parents were related or not, since they were so unalike in appearance. But she had never thought that it mattered. She had never even really thought about it before. But now that she did... the strange man did have a good point. Why did she look so different?

"M-my grandmother had blue eyes," she whispered, finally remembering the old woman who still lived all the way in England.

"**_You mean Ryou's grandmother? No, they were more of a foggy gray," _**the Possessor disagreed.. "**_Oh, and you know who else hadgray eyes? There was one other. Dear Amane-chan – may she rest in peace_**," He added sarcastically.

The brunette was confused. She had never heard the name before, and so could not place a face on the girl called Amane. Her brow furrowed in thought and she bit down on her lower lip. Who was Amane? What was her relevance to the Bakura family – no, her family; they were her family, no matter what this man tried to tell her.

He shook His head, disappointed. "**_They never told you about Amane? About your older sister_**?" He sighed. **_"My, my... what a family of liars. Since they didn't think you could handle the truth, I suppose it's up to me to tell you what you should already know. You see,"_** He paused and placed a hand on her shoulder it what He must have deemed to be a comforting manner; the action only caused the teenaged girl to shudder. **_"Amane is Ryou's true sister. She died soon after her birth, the poor girl. Ryou's parents were taken with grief by her death, and even his birth didn't stifle the sadness they felt. And then they moved to Domino... where they met the Mazaki family."_**

Anzu froze. Mazaki... That name rang a bell, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it before.

"_**You must remember, Anzu. The Mazaki's and their adorable, brown-haired newborn daughter were neighbors of the Bakura family. The Bakura's infant son always played over at the Mazaki's house with the young daughter, and vice versa. Mr. and Mrs. Bakura absolutely loved the Mazaki's daughter – she filled the void that had been created by Amane's death. That is why, when Mr. and Mrs. Mazaki tragically died, they felt it was their obligation to adopt the newly orphaned girl... Anzu, I believe her name was."**_

Anzu cowered away from him, tears of realization streaming down her cheeks. She knew. He wasn't lying to her. She knew... her whole life had been a falsehood. How could her family - no, she supposed they weren't her family anymore. - have led her to believe that she was actually a Bakura? How could they have not told her about her true parents?

He smirked, reminding her of a snake about to strike it's prey.**_ "Does that sound correct to you?"_**

* * *

_A/N: I really love Bakura's character in this fic. I don't know why, he's just so... snake-like, I suppose describes him best. Anyways, this chapter is finished. Stay tuned for the next! Please review!_


	7. Chapter VI

_A/N: Sorry about the delay... I meant to get this out much sooner, but... well, I don't really have an excuse. Oh well. Here's the chapter!_

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Key:

_**("Bakura to Ryou, mind speech")**_

_("Ryou to Bakura, mind speech")_

"**_Bakura speaking through Ryou"_**

"Normal Speech"

'_Normal Thoughts'_

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**- Part I -  
****- February 14th; 11:01 PM -**

"**_Do I frighten you?"_** He had asked, a deranged smile forcing his lips apart.

He chuckled quietly and pressed His body closer to her trembling one; she whimpered and pushed herself back, trying to disappear into the wall in order to escape from His painful grasp and His lustful gaze.

"L-leave me alone," Anzu cried, tears dripping slowly down her flushed cheeks. "Go away... Give me Ryou back..."

The doppelganger's expression became more amused by her words. **_"Sorry, precious. But I can't let that little fool out just yet. Ryou would only get in the way of my plans, if he knew them, and I can't afford to have him wasting my time... Even if he went along with my plans, I still wouldn't release him. I've finally been granted a body thanks to his idiocy, and I don't plan on relinquishing this new control anytime soon."_**

Reaching up a hand, He brushed His fingertips against her right cheek, feeling the moisture of her tears and relishing it. **_"I can finally touch you. Do you know I've waited almost sixteen years to be able to touch you like this?"_**

His lips found Anzu's and He kissed her harshly, forcing His tongue into her mouth. She shuddered and turned her head sharply to the side to break the contact, causing Him to growl irritably in the back of His throat and grasp her chin.

"_**I could have come to you sooner, you know,"** _He informed her. His blood-colored eyes glinted in the dim lighting of the kitchen. **_"I could have come to you any night – taken energy from my host and formed a spectral body for myself as I've done countless amounts of time before – and I could have had my way with you. But I waited... I wanted to make our meeting extra momentous. I wanted you to be able to see me, as well as feel me. So that whenever I touched you,"_** He paused and slipped His hand underneath her thin blouse, feeling the unbelievably soft skin underneath.

Anzu's breath hitched in her throat, her skin tingling almost pleasantly where His cold fingers brushed against her stomach. He had a soothing touch, just as Ryou did. But she couldn't fully enjoy it; this was wrong, after all – she didn't even know this man standing before her, despite the fact that He shared the appearance and claimed to be a part of her beloved 'sibling'.

"**_...And when I kissed you,"_** He continued, covering her mouth once again with His own in a quick peck, **_"you'd know it wasn't just your imagination playing tricks on you."_**

He moved His hand up slowly, feeling the muscles tense up beneath her heated skin. A smirked formed on His pale face as He wondered aloud: _**"Are you enjoying this, Anzu?"** _He spoke again before she could even open her mouth to respond. **_"Don't try to deny it. I can feel your reaction. Words are meaningless at a time like this."_**

"Leave me alone," she cried, pressing her hands against His chest and trying to push Him away. The effort was fruitless, and only caused the Dark One to press His body closer to her own. She whimpered and turned her face away as He attempted to kiss her once more.

He laughed at the small act of defiance, and opted instead for kissing and biting at her newly-exposed neck, branding her as His and His alone. **_"I'll leave you once I'm satisfied."_**

"S-satisfied..?" Anzu echoed fearfully. What did_ that_ mean? What was He going to do to her?

"**_Yes,"_** He affirmed with a nod, smirking down at her. **_"I've been holding back for almost sixteen years, precious. Now that I have the chance to be with you, do you think I'm going to let the opportunity just slip by? No, no... I plan to take advantage of this little predicament."_**

Anzu closed her eyes, feeling the other's lips on her neck again. Her fingers curled around the material of His shirt and she tugged at it. "Stop it! P-please!"

She stared up at Him beseechingly, trying to find a hint of the familiar chocolate-brown within the crimson orbs of the man standing before her. "Ryou! Ryou, if you're in there somewhere then please listen to me! I know you'd ne-never force yourself on anyone l-like this. You-you don't want to do th-this..."

For a moment, the doppelganger said nothing, only stood there staring down at her. Then He smirked once again and shook His head. He opened His mouth and began speaking again, His tone higher and lighter, hinted with an English accent similar to Ryou's.

"_**On the contrary, Anzu... I want this very much."**_

Anzu began sobbing in His arms, unable to bear the thought of Ryou actually saying such a thing to her, even though she knew that it was this sinister impersonator and not actually the gentle albino whom she loved as her older brother.

"**_And when I'm through with you,"_** He continued in the same airy voice, _**"you'll want it too... You'll be** _**begging_ me for more."_**

**- Part II -  
****- February 14th; 11:20 PM -**

Anzu stared up at the ceiling, her body completely still and her blue eyes wide. A mixture of emotions stormed through her, rendering her immobile and even incapable of actions as simple as blinking. She was... relieved, but more than that she was afraid; she couldn't even correctly piece together what had just happened.

One second Ryou – or, at least, Ryou's body – had been on top of her, having thrown her on to her bed and stripped her down to her undergarments minutes earlier, and had been in the process of trying to tease her into submission. Anzu had been withering and crying, tossing her head from side to side and trying to push Him off of her, which only served to further excite Him. He was in the process of removing His own clothing when suddenly the phone began to ring, completely interrupting Him from the task.

Anzu had thought He would just ignore it and continue on with what He had been doing. Looking back on it, the brunette almost wished He had done just that and left the telephone alone. But He hadn't. He'd picked up the receiver and seen in bold lettering that someone from the Ishtar residence was calling. Infuriated, He had thrown the phone across the room and detached Himself from her, zipping up His jeans as He stormed out of the room. Seconds later she heard the front door slam, signaling His departure from the house.

If she didn't know exactly where He was headed, she wouldn't feel so panicked inside. But she knew He was going to find Malik. She knew He was going to try and hurt him.

After finally gaining control over her body, Anzu sat up and bolted to the door, trying to open it and discovering with a horrified gasp that the knob wouldn't budge.

'_H-how could I be stuck inside? There's no lock on this door,'_ she thought frantically, attempting to turn the knob or pull it from the socket. _'I can't get out... He trapped me in here on purpose!'_

Cerulean eyes wandered across the room, finding the shattered receiver on the ground, its unfixable pieces resting next to those of her equally smashed cell phone. There was no way for her to contact Malik or warn him of the danger heading his way. She was powerless to help – just like He wanted her to be.

"No..."

Anzu clenched her eyes shut and shook her head vigorously. "I can't give up. I have to go to him... I need to help Malik. I won't let... I won't sit here and do nothing."

Determined, she looked around the room again, weighing out her options. She could either try to break the door down – which she already knew she did not have the physical strength to do – or she could resort to a most desperate means of escape by climbing out the window.

Feeling queasy at the idea of having to take such an extreme and dangerous measure, but not really having any other choice, Anzu made her way over to the wall. She only stopped moving once she stood before her bedroom window, which gave her an excellent view of her backyard and the nearly empty city street behind it. Hands trembling, the brunette reached out and unclasped the hatches, pushing the window upwards as far as she could after the locks were out of the way.

"You can do this, Anzu," she talked herself through it, removing the filter and setting it on the carpeted floor of her room. "Just climb down... use the vines on the side of the house. You can do it; it can't be that hard..."

The blue-eyed girl leaned forward, sticking her head out and checking how high the drop from her second-floor bedroom was. The nauseous sensation inside of her multiplied.

'_Who am I kidding? This is impossible. I'm going to die.'_

Deciding against the idea, Anzu took a step backwards.

'"_Wait, Anzu-chan,"'_ his voice stopped her from moving farther from her escape route.

The brunette gasped, whipping her head in both directions and expecting to see the handsome Egyptian standing in her room, smiling at her. The room was empty, but still his image flooded her mind, and she could clearly picture Malik walking towards her, wrapping his arms around her thin frame. Cerulean orbs closed briefly as she let out a deep breath.

"Malik-kun..."

The tears began to build up in her eyes as Malik's image seemed to fade in her mind, and his sincere voice was replaced by the Dark One's malicious laughter. Falling to her knees, Anzu began to sob.

"Malik-kun! Malik-kun, I'm sorry!"

She bowed her head, ashamed, and her body trembled with the force of her tears.

"I-I'm sorry..."

Anzu didn't know how long she sat on the floor crying, but there were hardly any tears left to cry by the time she stopped. Blue eyes stared blankly at the carpet, unblinking. She wanted to just curl up into a ball and disappear, disappear into a world where everything could be normal once again – a place where Ryou would be a normal older brother, and where she and Malik could happily be together without interference.

How had things gone so wrong in such a short period of time? Just the previous morning Ryou had been his regular self, and now he had been taken over by this... this _monster_.

'"_Wait, Anzu-chan... I know what to do now..."'_

Malik's voice again. That was what he said before he kissed her.

Oh, that kiss... so soft and tender, so unlike the ruthless kisses that He had bruised on her lips. Anzu loved Malik's kiss, and she hated the thought of never receiving one from him again. And if she stayed in her room and allowed the Egyptian to be hunted down by the Dark One, then there was no way she could ever have one of those kisses again – no way she would ever be with Malik again.

She knew... she knew He could kill Malik. She knew nothing would stop Him from doing it, either, unless she gathered her courage and intervened.

"Malik-kun," she whispered, bringing herself to her feet; her body swayed slightly. "Malik-kun... I'll save you. I promise. I won't let Him hurt you."

'_And you too, Ryou,'_ she promised silently, placing a hand over her heart and thinking of the kindhearted soul she had grown up with; the friendly, shy, and clumsy boy who had been her closest companion all her life. _'I'll save you from Him, too.'_

With newfound determination Anzu approached the window. Azure eyes narrowed as the girl stared down at the grass of the backyard. She could do this. She _would_. She had a purpose now – to help the two boys who each held a significant place in her heart – and so backing down was completely out of the question.

Slowly the brunette moved so that she was straddling the windowpane, and without a second thought she moved her body down onto the small chunk of roof that rested below the pane. Releasing the breath she didn't realize she had been keeping in, Anzu made her way to the side of the roof, nearing the edge and grasping on to a relatively thick vine growing on the side of the house.

Anzu had always hated those vines as a pre-teen – she thought they made the house look tacky and old – but now she was thinking whatever deity would listen that there was something for her to hold on to during this escape. Clasping her fingers around the vine, Anzu closed her eyes and slid off of the roof completely. To her surprise, the vine did not snap.

'_I can do this,'_ she kept telling herself. _'I can do this.'_

Repeating the mantra over and over again in her mind, Anzu cautiously began to climb down the vine, and the ground slowly came closer and closer. The girl's features lit up slightly.

"I-I'm doing it! I can't believe it!"

She continued down, never once stopping or thinking anything negative that might disrupt her from completing the task. And sooner than she realized, her feet were touching the earth – she had done it.

Taking one gander up at the window she just escaped from, the brunette smiled triumphantly. Then she turned on her heel and ran out of the backyard, pausing to open the gate door, and headed in the direction of the Ishtar apartment.

**- Part III -  
****- February 14th; 12:33 AM -**

Anzu hadn't known what to think as she opened the door to Malik's poor-scale apartment and caught sight of the Egyptian trapped on the floor, the life being squeezed out of his body with the help of Ryou's possessed hands wrapped around his throat. Malik thrashed on the floor, his body pinned underneath Ryou's smaller, pale one, and he screamed out obscenities and threats the best he could with his nearly depleted oxygen supply.

"Stop it!" the brunette cried, barely managing to make a sound above a whisper.

The two teenaged boys didn't even notice her there as they were so focused on trying to strangle the life out of one another. She called out to them again, trying to reach at least one of them, but it still didn't work. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and fear chilled her body. Would they not stop until they were both dead?

In a blink of an eye, Malik had rolled on top of the albino, taking the upper hand.

"She could never be yours," the Egyptian screamed at Him. "She's your _sister_ for God's sake!"

The Dark One only laughed at the statement. "You think so? I happen to know differently."

"Shut up," the blonde spat.

The albino made to say something else, but Malik silenced Him with a swift blow to the jaw. "True or not, it doesn't matter. She could never love you, because – well, look at yourself!" His lips curled in disgust as he stared down disdainfully at the older boy. "You're a _monster_."

Anzu gasped at the harsh words, and was even more surprised as she saw the fair-haired one's expression change, becoming softer, sadder. His eyes returned to their normal warm, milk-chocolate shade.

"Ryou..." she whispered.

The two males turned towards her, both noticing her presence for the first time. The brunette stared at them silently, studying both of their bruised forms; her focus lingered on Ryou for the longest amount of time, her eyes finding his own gentle brown ones, seeing the regret hidden deep within them.

Rain sluiced down the body-length window on the opposite side of the room, a storm still raging outside and making the soft, apologetic words exchanged between Ryou and Anzu almost impossible to decipher. Malik could barely hear them at all, though he wasn't entirely sure if he even wanted to; the only thing he wanted at the moment was for Anzu to leave, in case Ryou snapped and became violent again.

The albino moved himself slowly over to the window, stopping only when he stood directly in front of it.

"He's trying to come out again," he said softly, clutching the material of his soaked T-shirt. His eyes flickered for a moment, bleeding red and then melting back into mocha-brown. He shook his head and faced the window. "...He'll try to hurt you both... He's very angry."

"Don't give into Him, Ryou," Anzu said, taking a step closer.

"Please!" Ryou cried; his back still to the brunette. "Don't come close to me. I... I don't want Him to hurt you again."

Anzu stared sadly over at the gentle boy she believed so long was her older brother. She wanted so badly to help him, for he seemed to be suffering such a great deal. She could hear it in his voice... the pain, the deep regret, and she couldn't bring herself to be mad at him. It wasn't Ryou who she feared; it was his other self... that dark man whose gaze was so lustful and free of sanity.

"I can't destroy Him," Ryou whispered, lowering his head sadly. "He's a part of me... He _is_ me... but... but I have to kill Him. I don't care about the consequences."

Anzu didn't understand at first, but as Ryou's hands slowly moved upwards to the latch of the window it came to her. Cerulean eyes widened and filled with the tears she didn't even know she had left in her.

The windows pushed open and rain entered the apartment, many of the droplets splattering Ryou across the face. He tilted his head slightly to gaze back at Anzu sadly.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Ryou... you can't... You don't mean..."

Brown eyes closed slowly and Ryou nodded. It was the only way to get rid of Him. Ryou understood that, and he accepted his fate. He was responsible for the Dark One's creation, and so it was his duty to make sure He was destroyed for good.

"I love you, Anzu."

Ryou slipped out of view, his body disappearing behind the open window.

Anzu screamed and lunged after him, but a pair of dark arms circled around her waist and pulled her away from her death. A dry sob tore its way from her throat and she turned in Malik's arms, crying inconsolably into his chest.

A crash of lightening and a roar of thunder masked the sound of a body hitting the ground many stories below the pair.

_- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _

_A/N: Please don't kill me. Next chapter should be out soon._


	8. Chapter, Last

_A/N: Okay, so this took longer than I thought it would. Sorry. _

_Chapter Warning: Character suicide.

* * *

_

Key:

"**_Bakura speaking through Ryou"_**

"Normal Speech"

'_Normal Thoughts'_

"_Speaker on the opposite end of the telephone"_

_

* * *

_

_**Chapter, Last**_

James Bakura had never considered himself a negligent man. As a husband he was affectionate and faithful and, as a father, supportive and fair. However, the death of his wife marked a significant change in his character. No longer could he bear the sight of his own children – especially the eldest, his biological son, who so resembled his departed beloved – and so he allowed his work to take him farther and farther away from their home in Domino City. Once a month he sent money to take care of groceries, the bills, and allowance, and he never once forgot a birthday or special event. He trusted his children – now young adults – to take care of themselves and look after each other, and as far as he knew, they did; as far as he knew they were happy and healthy.

The news of Ryou's death hit him harder than the death of his own wife. With Mrs. Bakura, death was apparent. But with Ryou it was sudden and unexpected. James had been on one of his archeological excursions, this time in the exotic, faraway land of Egypt. It was a stout man with gray hair and peculiarly round amethyst eyes that delivered a letter describing the tragedy that occurred back in Domino.

Apparently there had been some sort of fight between Ryou and another young boy. The letter was brief and vague, but did explain how the fight ended with Ryou taking his own life.

In all of his years, Mr. Bakura had never been easily fooled, and he wasn't swayed by this letter. He had always known in the back of his mind that his eldest child was different. As a boy, Ryou was different, and as he grew older that difference morphed and became more and more apparent. James tried to ignore it, pass it off as just an odd phase of puberty. However, now as he held the announcement of Ryou's death in his sweaty hands, he could no longer deny the problem.

Ryou had been sick – not physically, but mentally. And it was that sickness which truly consumed and destroyed him in the end; it was that sickness that drove him to kill himself, not some silly fight.

This acquired knowledge changed nothing, though. Sickness or no sickness, Ryou was still gone. Mr. Bakura blamed himself for being absent too long to help.

That same evening he made a call to Japan, not caring about the expenses.

A sniveling Anzu greeted him in a voice hoarse from crying. In falling tones she gave him a recount of what she saw occur. She had been there in person, witnessed the tragic event with her very eyes.

Firstly mentioned was the matter of Ryou's drastic personality change – that had happened mere two or three evenings ago. Ryou was different, she explained; cold, and cruel, and... _different_. So different he seemed to be a completely new person altogether.

"_He frightened me_," she said in a voice barely audible. "_Even before his death, his eyes seemed so... so lifeless. And they were red... red like... like, like blood_."

James shuddered involuntarily. In his mind's eye he could see the gentle face of his son transform into the countenance of a monster – bleeding eyes, smirking lips. He could see it as if he had been there in person.

"And... when he died?" Mr. Bakura asked, curiously.

"_They were brown again... normal, but sad_." Anzu hesitated a moment. "_It... it was like he was possessed, and he was able to free himself just long enough to..." _her voice trailed off and she let out a sudden cry.

Mr. Bakura felt his throat tighten, but he held back the tears. "Shh... hush, Anzu, hush. It's okay..."

"_It is not okay_!" Anzu yelled, her voice cracking. "_He's dead... Ryou's d-dead... and it's my fault... all my fault_."

Here she couldn't take it anymore and so she broke down sobbing. James sighed quietly. He couldn't blame her for releasing her emotions – he actually wished he was capable of doing the same. But it hurt him to hear the girl cry. She was his daughter (albeit, only through adoption) and now she was the only child he had left. The only family he had left.

He tried again to soothe her, whispering that everything would be all right.

"Why don't you tell me exactly how it happened?" he suggested lightly.

Anzu made a whining sound in the back of her throat. _"I... I don't want to. I don't want to relive it again."_

"Anzu..."

Mr. Bakura's firm tone left no room for argument.

Anzu hiccupped, her teats subsiding for the moment. "_O-okay,"_ she said finally. Her voice warbled as she spoke next. "_It was two nights ago... Valentine's Day. He locked me in my bedroom somehow and left the house saying he was going after Malik._"

"Who?" Mr. Bakura interrupted, for the name was unfamiliar to his ears.

"_Malik Ishtar... He's a new boy at school... he asked me out for Valentine's Day,"_ she explained slowly. "_Ryou... Ryou didn't like him, and he didn't like the idea of me and him together as a couple. I-I guess he was... jealous. I don't really know. But he left the house with that crazed, blood-lusting gleam in his eyes. I was afraid he would hurt Malik – I-I knew that he would, since he had the chance..."_

Anzu paused, inhaling sharply.

"_He wasn't my Ryou anymore... He was someone – something – else. He wasn't the boy I loved as my brother... He was like a demon, a demon who didn't care about anything but revenge... revenge and... L-lust_."

Her voice grew impossibly quiet as she came to the last word in the sentence, and Mr. Bakura easily figured why. His brown eyes fell closed, hating the thought of his son acting such a way.

Anzu continued.

"_I left my room by climbing through the window and using the vines on the side of the house to help me down to the ground. I got scratched pretty badly, but I didn't care about it... I ran all the way to Malik's apartment. Malik lives downtown, on the eighth story of one of the older complexes. By the time I got there, they'd... they'd already begun fighting."_

She sniffled. _"I couldn't stop them... I wanted to... I wanted them to stop so badly... But they didn't listen to me... they didn't even see me there..."_

_**Two nights ago...  
February 14th**_

_Brown-haired Anzu Bakura – no, Anzu Mazaki – stood in the entrance of Malik Ishtar's small and dirty rented apartment, her clothes soaked thoroughly by the pouring rain she had traveled through in order to make it this far. She watched in horror, her azure eyes taking in the sight of the two teenaged males on the floor, both desperately trying to strangle the life out of one another._

_Ryou's body was on top of Malik's and He was straddling the Egyptian with His hands placed firmly around the blonde's throat. His nails, sharper and longer than usual, scraped across Malik's neck, digging into the naturally dark skin and drawing blood – blood which, in further proof of insanity, He licked away with a deep chuckle._

_Malik cringed, trying to disappear into the ground. He coughed, choking out the little oxygen that was still left in his lungs, and his face began to drain of its healthy color._

"_**Poor thing..."** 'Ryou' hissed, smirking. "**Should I show you mercy? Let you live?**"_

_For a moment He allowed His grip to fall lax. Malik gulped down air greedily, restoring life to his shriveling body._

_He shook His head, deciding against the idea, and pressed His fingers into Malik's throat, successfully blocking the passage of air to the blonde's lungs. _

"_**No... I think I'll kill you. But slowly. I'm in no rush."** He chuckled to Himself, **"Actually, the more I draw it out, the more enjoyable it becomes."**_

"_You're... you're in-insane," Malik wheezed, clawing at the hands around his neck._

_The albino made a humming noise of agreement. "**Perhaps, yes**," He said, "**I suppose I am insane... But that's what people say love can do to a man, right?**"_

_The Egyptian managed to free himself from Ryou's chokehold. He grasped the red-eyed fiend's hands in his own tightly, eliciting a low growl from his opponent. _

"_She'll never... _never _love you."_

_Malik steadied his breathing as the possessed Ryou tried to free His hands. Now with a somewhat advantage over the other, Malik flipped their positions so that he was pinning Ryou's body down._

"_**If you hadn't come here... If you hadn't stolen her away... She would have been mine!**"_

"_She could never be yours!" Malik screamed. "She's your sister, for God's sake!"_

_Ryou laughed, an oddly hollow sound. **"You think so? I happen to know differently."**_

"SHUT UP_!"_

_Malik silenced Him with a swift punch to the jaw. _

"_True or not, it doesn't matter. She could never because – well, look at yourself!" His lip curled in disgust as he surveyed the other, taking in the bloodied hands, the cracked lips, matted hair, and crimson eyes of the albino. "You're a monster!"_

_At the accusation, Ryou's expression changed. It was as if something inside of Him had shattered. His eyes reverted back to their normal chocolate-brown color, and they were filled to the brim with pent-up frustration, grief, and self-loathing. Malik could see the tears gathering at the corner of Ryou's eyes, and though he hated to admit it, he felt slightly sorry for the older teen._

_Malik sat back, releasing his hold on his attacker. Ryou stayed motionless on the ground, appearing to not even register the movement. Breathing heavily, Ryou's eyes fell shut after a long moment and several crystalline tears escaped from underneath his dark lashes. The room was silent, with the exception of ragged inhalations and exhalations, and the rain which was still beating against the apartment. _

_And then Ryou laughed._

_The sound was quiet, but it was definitely there. The albino's was a remorseful, broken laugh – the one made when someone knows they've lost an important fight. There was no smile on Ryou's face, no evidence of joy. _

_Malik watched him with suspicious, narrowed lilac orbs. His stance was defensive, guarded and ready for any sudden attacks Ryou might launch. Nothing came, and he allowed himself to relax – but only slightly. _

"_...Ryou...?"_

_It was the first time both Malik and Ryou acknowledged Anzu's presence in the room. They hadn't even noticed her earlier. _

_Ryou's eyes, soft and sad and brown, moved to look at her. Anzu could clearly see his regret. _

"_Anzu," he whispered, voice hoarse. "I am a monster... aren't I? That's what... that's what you think of me?"_

"_No!" the brunette disagreed, taking a step closer to the young man who for the longest time she believed to be her older brother._

"_I'm... sorry..."_

"_Ryou, please don't."_

_He held a hand up, efficiently silencing her. Inhaling deeply, he averted his gaze back to the wooden floor. Several thick tears fell from his eyes, splashing down by his feet and leaving fat droplet-stains in their wake. _

"_I was so... blind," Ryou said slowly. "I wanted you to know the truth... to know who you really were so that, maybe, you could see me the same way I see you... that you could really love me. Because I loved you... I loved you so much. And I still love you, Anzu... I still do."_

_Anzu didn't – couldn't – say anything._

"_I guess I was selfish... stupid and foolish, too. Deep down I knew things would never change. Even if I told you the truth, you wouldn't love me as anything more than my sister. But... He told me otherwise... He said He could make you love me. And like the idiot I am, I listened to Him."_

_Swallowing, the brunette hesitantly inquired, "He?"_

_Ryou gripped the soaked material of his T-shirt, his form shivering. He nodded his head._

"_That Voice in my head... The manifestation of my sinful love... the... darkness in my heart."_

_Ryou's voice had grown impossibly quiet and his words were barely coherent to the two other occupants of the room._

"_... The other me."_

_The room grew silent after that, and Anzu tried to process this information. Another Ryou? That made sense, in a strange way. It explained why the albino seemed to become a whole new person. But the brunette also knew that such a thing was impossible. Two souls could not inhabit one body. There was no way that this other Ryou could exist. It was a serious mental condition, Anzu knew. Schizophrenia, or something like that. Split personalities. _

"_Oh, Ryou," she whispered, shaking her head and taking another step towards him._

_He gasped, eyes widening for a moment in pain. He brought his arms around himself, shuddering. Anzu made to come closer, but his strangled voice stopped her._

"_No... Please, don't come near me," he whispered. He looked around frantically, eyes flickering from red to brown. He whimpered as he spotted the window, and slowly moved closer to it. "He's... He's trying to come out again," he said softly, clutching the material of his shirt._

_His eyes wavered again, bleeding red before melting back to mocha-brown. Pale lips parted in a silent scream. Shaking his head, he turned to face the window. "He'll hurt you both... He's very angry."_

"_Don't give in to him, Ryou!" Anzu pleaded, disregarding his warning to stay back by walking to his side._

"_Please!" Ryou cried, wrenching away from the brunette's outstretched hand, pushing her back. "Don't come close to me. I... I don't want Him to hurt you again."_

_Anzu's cerulean eyes filled with tears, but she nodded her head and stayed put, opting to stare sadly at him. She wished more than anything to help him, for she hated to see the gentle boy suffer so greatly. She could hear in his voice the deep regret, and she couldn't bring herself to be angry at him. Nor could she be afraid of him. It wasn't Ryou who scared her, it was his 'other self'... that lustful gleam in His eyes. _

"_I... I can't destroy Him," Ryou said suddenly, snapping her from her thoughts. His head was bowed in defeat, his pale hand barely touching the glass of the window before him. "He's a part of me... He _is _me... but... I have to kill Him. I don't care about the consequences anymore... He's... I've don't too much."_

_The brunette didn't understand at first, but as she saw his hands move to the latch of the window it dawned on her. She began to cry the tears she didn't even realize she had left. _

_Ryou pushed the window open and the rain entered the small apartment, most of the droplets slapping him across the face in the process. He didn't mind; it was a welcomed punishment. Tilting his head to the side, he looked over to Anzu, smiling sadly. _

"_I'm sorry," he said, "I'm sorry I hurt you."_

"_Ryou... you can't... you don't mean to..." _

_Mocha eyes closed slowly and Ryou nodded. He had to kill Him... and this was the only way. It was the only way to get rid of Him, and Ryou understood that now. He was responsible for creating that dark entity, and so it was his job to rid the world of Him once and for all._

"_... I love you, Anzu."_

_Anzu shook her head. "No, Ryou! Please... there has to be another way! Please! Please don't leave me!"_

_But Ryou wasn't listening. He stepped to the ledge of the window, and in an instant his body was gone, falling, falling to the ground below. Lightening crashed and thunder roared outside, nature indifferent to the suicide._

_Anzu screamed and lunged after him. Malik seemed to regain all his senses and rushed over to her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her away from the window she was prepared to jump through to her death. _

"_Anzu... oh, God, Anzu..."_

_The brunette turned in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. _

"_Ryou... Ryou..."

* * *

_

"_Ryou... Ryou..."_

James's eyes welled, blurring his vision with tears that began streaming down his face. His son... his only son, dead.

Anzu continued talking on the other line, unable to stop now that she was finally getting the story out.

"_There were already people gathered when we went down to the street... His body... Oh, God, his body... I could barely recognize it..."_

Mr. Bakura was silent, unsure of what to say. How could he comfort Anzu when he himself needed comforting?

"I'm coming home," he told her. "I'll take the next plane out."

_"Thank you... d-dad."_

This brought a sad smile to his face. She still called him that, even though she now certainly knew the truth of her origins. If only he had told her sooner... perhaps they call could have been spared this grief.

But now it was too late. They couldn't go back in time, couldn't change anything no matter how much they wanted to. All they could do was live with the haunting memory of Ryou's Darkness.

* * *

_A/N: Next chapter will be just a short epilogue-type thing... Stay tuned!_


End file.
